A Conversation With Horace Dediu

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged about Apple. The reason is simple: There wasn’t anything to report. Since the launch of the iPad 4 years ago: steady improvements, yes, but no miracles. Not a single product that wowed us (or any old-school industry for that matter), like the iPod/iTunes or iPhone/AppStore-combo. While Google is announcing one innovation after another, it became awkwardly silent around the wizards from Cupertino. Concerns are raising: Without Steve Jobs, has Apple indeed lost its Mojo?

“Quite the opposite” says Horace Dediu, one of the most fascinating Apple experts, I met. Horace started as a developer, has been an analyst for Nokia and knows the mobile industry like no other. With his company asymco.com he is one of the brightest stars in the analysts’ scene, especially when it comes to Apple. Anyone who had the chance to see him at one of his iPad-navigated presentations on stage understands why.

Apple on a Self-Destruction Course

Horace and I have met at a conference in Germany a few weeks ago. During a break, we were talking about the future of Apple. Horace made a statement, which I found quite intriguing: In order to remain innovative, not only you must be able to reinvent yourself again and again. You also have to be the one to destroy you.

“Reinventing yourself is not enough — you also have to be the one to destroy you.”

A sentence that I kept in my head for quite a while now and about which I wanted to learn more. A few days ago, Horace and I sat down for a Skype-Cast (New York and Munich). In this conversation we touched issues like the Post-Jobs Era, Apple’s philosophy, the long-term strategy of the company and, of course, the Next Big Thing.

One Hour Appletalk — Audio or Video

With no further ado, here is our Skype conversation — uploaded as video and audio stream in full length (1 hour and 14 minutes):