WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.960 I want you to picture a scenario for a second. 00:00:03.299 --> 00:00:06.900 You are sitting in a massive darkened auditorium. 00:00:06.940 --> 00:00:09.160 Okay, I'm picturing it. And you are there for 00:00:09.160 --> 00:00:13.140 a corporate presentation. Oh, wow. Fun. Right. 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:16.679 Because normally that phrase, a loan -like corporate 00:00:16.679 --> 00:00:19.339 presentation, is enough to make your eyes glaze 00:00:19.339 --> 00:00:21.559 over. Yeah, you're immediately expecting dense 00:00:21.559 --> 00:00:24.079 bullet points. Exactly. You are conditioned to 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:28.190 expect endless slides and... A speaker droning 00:00:28.190 --> 00:00:30.350 on about quarterly synergies while you just quietly 00:00:30.350 --> 00:00:32.329 check your watch. Waiting for the coffee break. 00:00:32.570 --> 00:00:34.750 Right, waiting for the coffee break. But in this 00:00:34.750 --> 00:00:37.310 scenario, you are on the edge of your seat. Okay. 00:00:37.789 --> 00:00:40.109 The person on stage isn't just sharing company 00:00:40.109 --> 00:00:43.899 updates. They're weaving a narrative. so meticulously 00:00:43.899 --> 00:00:47.619 crafted, so undeniably magnetic, that the very 00:00:47.619 --> 00:00:49.759 words they are speaking are actively causing 00:00:49.759 --> 00:00:52.880 substantial swings in the stock price of a multi 00:00:52.880 --> 00:00:55.719 -billion dollar company in real time. It is a 00:00:55.719 --> 00:00:58.619 wild thing to think about. It really is. Welcome 00:00:58.619 --> 00:01:01.119 to today's Deep Dive. We have an incredible journey 00:01:01.119 --> 00:01:03.799 ahead for you. Today, our mission is to unpack 00:01:03.799 --> 00:01:05.700 a really fascinating piece of source material 00:01:05.700 --> 00:01:07.879 we've gathered. Yeah, it's a great one. It's 00:01:07.879 --> 00:01:10.700 a comprehensive Wikipedia article. dedicated 00:01:10.700 --> 00:01:14.540 entirely to a phenomenon known simply as the 00:01:14.540 --> 00:01:17.260 Steve Note. The Steve Note. We are going to explore 00:01:17.260 --> 00:01:20.980 how former Apple CEO Steve Jobs took the standard 00:01:20.980 --> 00:01:24.299 dry corporate keynote and transformed it into 00:01:24.299 --> 00:01:27.719 a global cultural event, an event that fundamentally 00:01:27.719 --> 00:01:31.049 shaped the modern tech landscape. It really is 00:01:31.049 --> 00:01:33.370 a brilliant set of source material. And looking 00:01:33.370 --> 00:01:35.409 through these documents, what stands out immediately 00:01:35.409 --> 00:01:38.290 to me is that this isn't just, you know, a historical 00:01:38.290 --> 00:01:40.549 timeline of gadgets and software updates. No, 00:01:40.609 --> 00:01:42.930 not at all. It is an absolute masterclass in 00:01:42.930 --> 00:01:45.989 communication, human psychology, and strategic 00:01:45.989 --> 00:01:49.670 reveals. Whether you are, say, prepping for a 00:01:49.670 --> 00:01:52.209 massive industry conference or getting ready 00:01:52.209 --> 00:01:54.290 to pitch an idea in your weekly team meeting 00:01:54.290 --> 00:01:56.530 or just trying to persuade a client, there are 00:01:56.530 --> 00:01:58.950 profound lessons hidden in the architecture of 00:01:58.950 --> 00:02:01.000 these presentations. We're sure. We're going 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:03.640 to decode exactly how that famous reality distortion 00:02:03.640 --> 00:02:05.540 field was actually built from the ground up. 00:02:05.640 --> 00:02:08.099 So let's start with the foundation. The term 00:02:08.099 --> 00:02:10.780 Steve Note, which is just a brilliant colloquialism 00:02:10.780 --> 00:02:13.099 coined by the tech community, by the way, it 00:02:13.099 --> 00:02:15.360 refers to the highly anticipated keynote speeches 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:18.280 given by Steve Jobs at major industry events. 00:02:18.460 --> 00:02:20.840 Right. We are talking about the Macworld Expo, 00:02:20.919 --> 00:02:23.979 the Apple Expo in Paris, and the Apple Worldwide 00:02:23.979 --> 00:02:27.069 Developers Conference. better known as WWDC. 00:02:27.349 --> 00:02:30.969 Which is still a huge deal today. Huge. And because 00:02:30.969 --> 00:02:34.150 Apple heavily guarded its internal secrets, these 00:02:34.150 --> 00:02:36.330 keynotes were usually the very first time the 00:02:36.330 --> 00:02:38.750 public or the press ever laid eyes on their new 00:02:38.750 --> 00:02:40.629 products. It was literal appointment viewing 00:02:40.629 --> 00:02:43.250 for the tech world. It really was. But one of 00:02:43.250 --> 00:02:45.289 the most striking details highlighted in our 00:02:45.289 --> 00:02:47.610 source material isn't just what was being presented. 00:02:47.770 --> 00:02:50.169 It's what the presenter was wearing. Yes, the 00:02:50.169 --> 00:02:53.430 uniform. The uniform. Starting around 1998, Steve 00:02:53.430 --> 00:02:55.699 Jobs wore the exact same... uniform to nearly 00:02:55.699 --> 00:02:58.099 every single keynote. Every single one. We are 00:02:58.099 --> 00:03:01.240 talking about a black, long -sleeved mock turtleneck 00:03:01.240 --> 00:03:04.419 specifically designed by Issey Miyake, a pair 00:03:04.419 --> 00:03:08.280 of Levi's 501 blue jeans, and New Balance 991 00:03:08.280 --> 00:03:10.879 sneakers. What's fascinating here is this underlying 00:03:10.879 --> 00:03:13.879 psychology of that specific choice. Yeah, break 00:03:13.879 --> 00:03:16.000 that down for us. Well, by completely eliminating 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:20.159 wardrobe variations, Jobs removed a massive layer 00:03:20.159 --> 00:03:22.539 of visual friction for the audience. Visual friction. 00:03:22.699 --> 00:03:24.759 I like that. Think about it. from a cognitive 00:03:24.759 --> 00:03:27.699 load perspective. When the speaker looks exactly 00:03:27.699 --> 00:03:30.180 the same year after year, decade after decade, 00:03:30.479 --> 00:03:33.259 the audience's attention isn't diverted by superficial 00:03:33.259 --> 00:03:35.740 changes. They aren't wondering if that suit is 00:03:35.740 --> 00:03:39.219 new. Exactly. Or if that tie matches. The focus 00:03:39.219 --> 00:03:42.340 is entirely ruthlessly directed at the product 00:03:42.340 --> 00:03:44.979 he is holding in his hands. I hear that, but 00:03:44.979 --> 00:03:48.319 didn't he run the risk of just looking boring? 00:03:48.990 --> 00:03:51.810 Or out of touch. How do you mean? I mean, in 00:03:51.810 --> 00:03:54.669 a fashion forward, rapidly evolving industry, 00:03:54.810 --> 00:03:57.909 wearing what is essentially a dad fleece uniform 00:03:57.909 --> 00:04:01.610 seems incredibly risky. You would think a tech 00:04:01.610 --> 00:04:03.610 visionary would want to look cutting edge. You 00:04:03.610 --> 00:04:05.530 would think so, but it actually worked as an 00:04:05.530 --> 00:04:08.509 anti -status symbol. Oh, interesting. Yeah. In 00:04:08.509 --> 00:04:10.909 an era where other tech CEOs were wearing these 00:04:10.909 --> 00:04:13.189 stiff, uncomfortable suits to project corporate 00:04:13.189 --> 00:04:16.060 authority. Jobs walked out looking like he'd 00:04:16.060 --> 00:04:18.120 just stepped out of a garage workshop. Right, 00:04:18.199 --> 00:04:20.740 like he's just been tinkering. Precisely. It 00:04:20.740 --> 00:04:22.339 signaled that he cared about the engineering, 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:25.279 not the corporate posturing. And it really makes 00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:27.620 you wonder about your own approach. How so? Well, 00:04:27.660 --> 00:04:29.990 for anyone listening... How does establishing 00:04:29.990 --> 00:04:34.009 a reliable, consistent personal brand, even just 00:04:34.009 --> 00:04:36.550 a visual one -set, the baseline expectations 00:04:36.550 --> 00:04:39.870 for your own audience? When you deliberately 00:04:39.870 --> 00:04:42.470 remove distractions, you force people to engage 00:04:42.470 --> 00:04:45.089 solely with your ideas. Okay, let's unpack this. 00:04:45.269 --> 00:04:47.389 Because to really appreciate the power of the 00:04:47.389 --> 00:04:49.910 Steve note, we have to look at the crucible it 00:04:49.910 --> 00:04:52.310 was forged in. The dark days. The very dark days. 00:04:52.509 --> 00:04:56.930 We're taking you back to 1997. Apple is in serious 00:04:56.930 --> 00:04:59.160 existential trouble. They were on the brink. 00:04:59.240 --> 00:05:01.040 They had been suffering through a prolonged, 00:05:01.220 --> 00:05:04.199 brutal decline during the early and mid -90s. 00:05:04.600 --> 00:05:06.819 Bleeding money. Barely staying afloat. Right. 00:05:07.139 --> 00:05:10.779 And in late 1996, Apple essentially threw a Hail 00:05:10.779 --> 00:05:14.240 Mary and purchased a company called NextT, which 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:16.699 brought Steve Jobs back to Apple after an 11 00:05:16.699 --> 00:05:19.000 -year hiatus. Because remember, he had been ousted 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:22.139 from his own company back in 1985. Exactly. So 00:05:22.139 --> 00:05:25.680 it's mid -1997. Jobs is back. And he takes the 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:28.279 stage at Macworld Boston to give a detailed report 00:05:28.279 --> 00:05:31.540 on the company's status. And this leads to one 00:05:31.540 --> 00:05:34.199 of the most shocking reveals in tech history. 00:05:34.420 --> 00:05:37.139 It was a moment that genuinely stunned the industry. 00:05:37.220 --> 00:05:39.180 And frankly, it angered a lot of people in that 00:05:39.180 --> 00:05:41.680 room. Jobs is on stage talking about getting 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:45.079 Apple healthy again. And suddenly looning over 00:05:45.079 --> 00:05:47.699 the audience via satellite on a massive screen 00:05:47.699 --> 00:05:51.759 is Microsoft CEO. Bill Gates. The arch rival. 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:54.899 The ultimate rival. The crowd is absolutely losing 00:05:54.899 --> 00:05:57.620 there, actively heckling, booing the screen. 00:05:57.779 --> 00:06:00.540 It was visceral. And Jobs stands there and announces 00:06:00.540 --> 00:06:03.120 a massive partnership with Microsoft. The terms 00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:05.839 of the deal detailed in the text were huge. Microsoft 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:09.420 would develop its next release of Office 98 specifically 00:06:09.420 --> 00:06:12.319 for the Macintosh. Which Apple desperately needed. 00:06:12.660 --> 00:06:15.060 Desperately. Furthermore, Microsoft's Internet 00:06:15.060 --> 00:06:16.959 Explorer would become the default web browser 00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:19.660 on all Mac computers. The audience is practically 00:06:19.660 --> 00:06:22.279 revolting, but Jobs doesn't flinch. This is a 00:06:22.279 --> 00:06:24.500 masterclass in reading a hostile room and completely 00:06:24.500 --> 00:06:26.620 reframing a narrative. Yeah, he didn't back down 00:06:26.620 --> 00:06:29.160 from the hecklers. He didn't back down, but he 00:06:29.160 --> 00:06:32.180 also didn't attack them. He addressed the underlying 00:06:32.180 --> 00:06:35.899 tension head on. The source captures his exact 00:06:35.899 --> 00:06:38.439 words from that day, which are incredibly revealing 00:06:38.439 --> 00:06:40.579 about his leadership style. What did he say? 00:06:40.779 --> 00:06:44.040 He told the crowd, quote, The era of setting 00:06:44.040 --> 00:06:46.560 this up as a competition between Apple and Microsoft 00:06:46.560 --> 00:06:49.180 is over as far as I'm concerned. This is about 00:06:49.180 --> 00:06:51.519 getting Apple healthy. And this is about Apple 00:06:51.519 --> 00:06:53.740 being able to make incredibly great contributions 00:06:53.740 --> 00:06:56.360 to the industry to get healthy and prosper again. 00:06:56.500 --> 00:06:59.050 Wow. That phrasing is so deliberate. It really 00:06:59.050 --> 00:07:02.370 is. He isn't saying Microsoft is better. He is 00:07:02.370 --> 00:07:05.170 saying the very concept of the competition is 00:07:05.170 --> 00:07:08.610 no longer useful to Apple. Exactly. He neutralized 00:07:08.610 --> 00:07:11.069 the religious war that Apple fans have been fighting. 00:07:11.209 --> 00:07:13.670 This is a profound lesson for anyone navigating 00:07:13.670 --> 00:07:16.730 a crisis. Sometimes survival and ultimate innovation 00:07:16.730 --> 00:07:19.230 requires partnering with your biggest rival. 00:07:19.430 --> 00:07:21.970 Swallow your pride to survive. Jobs understood 00:07:21.970 --> 00:07:24.730 that pride was a luxury a failing company couldn't 00:07:24.730 --> 00:07:27.250 afford. He needed the capital and the software 00:07:27.250 --> 00:07:29.569 support that only Microsoft could provide to 00:07:29.569 --> 00:07:32.329 stabilize the ship. He turned a perceived surrender 00:07:32.329 --> 00:07:36.569 into a strategic victory. And he used the Steve 00:07:36.569 --> 00:07:39.550 Note platform to sell that painful reality to 00:07:39.550 --> 00:07:42.649 his most dedicated and at that moment, angriest 00:07:42.649 --> 00:07:45.410 fans. It's brilliant. I challenge you to think 00:07:45.410 --> 00:07:48.139 about your own workplace. Who is your biggest 00:07:48.139 --> 00:07:51.240 internal rival or competitor? What would happen 00:07:51.240 --> 00:07:53.699 if you publicly partnered with them on your next 00:07:53.699 --> 00:07:56.639 project instead of competing for resources? That 00:07:56.639 --> 00:07:58.939 is a phenomenal pivot to think about. Yeah. And 00:07:58.939 --> 00:08:01.339 once the ship was stabilized, the Steve Note 00:08:01.339 --> 00:08:04.360 itself evolved. The format shifted dramatically. 00:08:04.360 --> 00:08:06.360 Yeah, it really changed. Where these presentations 00:08:06.360 --> 00:08:08.800 happened became just as important as what happened 00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:11.339 during them. In the early days, as we mentioned, 00:08:11.620 --> 00:08:14.110 Apple went to where the people were. They exhibited 00:08:14.110 --> 00:08:16.730 at massive trade expos in San Francisco, Boston, 00:08:16.829 --> 00:08:19.769 and Paris. Big, crowded halls. Right. But eventually, 00:08:19.970 --> 00:08:21.850 Apple stopped exhibiting at those third -party 00:08:21.850 --> 00:08:24.250 expos altogether. They pulled out. They moved 00:08:24.250 --> 00:08:26.329 the keynotes entirely to their own turf. If we 00:08:26.329 --> 00:08:28.810 connect this to the bigger picture, consolidating 00:08:28.810 --> 00:08:30.730 these announcements into single, highly controlled 00:08:30.730 --> 00:08:33.549 environments shifted the power dynamics of the 00:08:33.549 --> 00:08:36.309 entire tech industry. How so? Moving away from 00:08:36.309 --> 00:08:39.210 a crowded trade show floor is like a high -end 00:08:39.210 --> 00:08:41.409 fashion house pulling out of Fashion Week to 00:08:41.409 --> 00:08:44.620 host their own. private runway show oh that's 00:08:44.620 --> 00:08:47.179 a great analogy apple was no longer just one 00:08:47.179 --> 00:08:49.820 booth among hundreds fighting for media attention 00:08:49.820 --> 00:08:53.179 and foot traffic they became the sole focus of 00:08:53.179 --> 00:08:55.840 the news cycle they shifted primarily to their 00:08:55.840 --> 00:08:58.620 own worldwide developers conference at the moscone 00:08:58.620 --> 00:09:01.519 center in san francisco and later they took it 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:04.259 even further right the special events exactly 00:09:04.259 --> 00:09:08.230 moving to highly exclusive Invite only special 00:09:08.230 --> 00:09:10.929 events. These were held at places like the Yerba 00:09:10.929 --> 00:09:13.029 Buena Center for the Arts, which is where the 00:09:13.029 --> 00:09:16.710 iPad debuted in 2010 or literally right on Apple's 00:09:16.710 --> 00:09:18.970 corporate campus in their own auditorium. Talk 00:09:18.970 --> 00:09:21.149 about home field advantage. Complete control. 00:09:21.429 --> 00:09:23.830 These events were attended by a carefully selected, 00:09:23.970 --> 00:09:26.330 relatively small group of journalists, employees 00:09:26.330 --> 00:09:28.850 and special guests. They controlled the lighting, 00:09:28.970 --> 00:09:30.889 the staging, the guest list and the narrative. 00:09:31.129 --> 00:09:33.190 They made the press come to them on their terms. 00:09:33.330 --> 00:09:35.029 And the press came because the product drops 00:09:35.029 --> 00:09:38.509 were historic. The source text outlines a relentless 00:09:38.509 --> 00:09:41.090 drumbeat of industry -defining moments over a 00:09:41.090 --> 00:09:44.090 13 -year period. It's actually staggering to 00:09:44.090 --> 00:09:45.730 hear them all back -to -back. Let's hear the 00:09:45.730 --> 00:09:50.549 hit list. In 1998, the original iMac desktop, 00:09:50.929 --> 00:09:53.450 which literally saved the company and brought 00:09:53.450 --> 00:09:56.570 color to a beige computer world. Yep. In 1999, 00:09:56.990 --> 00:10:00.009 the clamshell iBook, which introduced Wi -Fi 00:10:00.009 --> 00:10:02.870 to the masses. A huge deal. In 2000, the Mac 00:10:02.870 --> 00:10:05.230 OS X operating system. which laid the software 00:10:05.230 --> 00:10:08.370 foundation for the next two decades. In 2001, 00:10:08.690 --> 00:10:12.330 the iPod, which completely dismantled and rebuilt 00:10:12.330 --> 00:10:14.889 the music industry. Changed everything. In 2007, 00:10:15.110 --> 00:10:17.269 the iPhone, which fundamentally changed human 00:10:17.269 --> 00:10:20.690 communication. And in 2010, the iPad. It wasn't 00:10:20.690 --> 00:10:23.169 just a list of gadgets. It was the steady unveiling 00:10:23.169 --> 00:10:25.730 of the modern digital world. It really was. But 00:10:25.730 --> 00:10:27.529 to truly understand the mechanics of the Steve 00:10:27.529 --> 00:10:29.389 Note, we have to look past the cultural impact 00:10:29.389 --> 00:10:31.929 of the iPod or the iPhone. Okay, where should 00:10:31.929 --> 00:10:33.980 we look? If we really look closely at the source 00:10:33.980 --> 00:10:36.580 material, particularly the events of 1998 and 00:10:36.580 --> 00:10:39.259 1999, you see that these weren't just glossy 00:10:39.259 --> 00:10:41.639 superficial advertisements. They were incredibly 00:10:41.639 --> 00:10:44.120 deep technical briefings. Let's dive into the 00:10:44.120 --> 00:10:46.320 weeds here for a second because the density of 00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:48.559 information in these early keynotes is wild. 00:10:48.779 --> 00:10:51.779 Yeah. And it completely shatters the myth that 00:10:51.779 --> 00:10:54.179 Jobs was just a marketer who didn't understand 00:10:54.179 --> 00:10:57.779 the tech. Absolutely. Take the 1998 WWDC keynote. 00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:00.340 Jobs didn't just walk out and hold up a shiny 00:11:00.340 --> 00:11:03.409 computer. He stood up. and declared the company 00:11:03.409 --> 00:11:05.889 was back on track and then backed it up with 00:11:05.889 --> 00:11:08.659 hard data. He needed to prove it. Right. He announced 00:11:08.659 --> 00:11:12.580 they had sold 500 ,000 power Macintosh G3s in 00:11:12.580 --> 00:11:15.559 just six months. He quantified their user base, 00:11:15.779 --> 00:11:18.519 noting there were 10 million consumer Mac users 00:11:18.519 --> 00:11:22.000 and 6 million educational users. He was establishing 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:24.519 empirical credibility before asking the audience 00:11:24.519 --> 00:11:26.320 to take a leap of faith on the new technology. 00:11:26.580 --> 00:11:28.879 And then he goes deep into that technology. He 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:30.480 announces that the International Organization 00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:33.759 for Standardization adopted Apple's QuickTime 00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:36.960 file format as the basis for MPEG -4. Which is 00:11:36.960 --> 00:11:39.580 a massive standard for digital video. Massive. 00:11:39.620 --> 00:11:42.299 Then he brings out Peter Hottie, the chief architect 00:11:42.299 --> 00:11:44.759 of QuickTime. He introduces a Vadas Tavanian 00:11:44.759 --> 00:11:47.159 to demonstrate the Carbon API. And we should 00:11:47.159 --> 00:11:49.240 clarify what the Carbon API was because it was 00:11:49.240 --> 00:11:51.259 crucial. Please do. When Apple was moving to 00:11:51.259 --> 00:11:54.539 its new OSX operating system, developers were 00:11:54.539 --> 00:11:56.399 terrified they would have to rewrite all their 00:11:56.399 --> 00:11:58.360 software from scratch. Which is a nightmare. 00:11:58.620 --> 00:12:01.320 Total nightmare. The Carbon API was essentially 00:12:01.320 --> 00:12:03.639 a bridge. It allowed developers to take their 00:12:03.639 --> 00:12:06.320 existing older code and easily adapt. it for 00:12:06.320 --> 00:12:08.679 the new modern system. So it was a lifeline. 00:12:08.820 --> 00:12:12.100 Exactly. By putting Tevanian on stage to demonstrate 00:12:12.100 --> 00:12:15.100 it, Jobs was directly soothing the biggest anxiety 00:12:15.100 --> 00:12:19.500 in the room. 1999 was even wilder. The WWDC keynote 00:12:19.500 --> 00:12:21.799 that year was famously opened by the voice of 00:12:21.799 --> 00:12:25.879 HAL 9000 from the movie 2001, A Space Oddity. 00:12:26.269 --> 00:12:28.889 That is such a brilliant theatrical touch. Right. 00:12:28.970 --> 00:12:31.529 And to woo the developers in the room, Apple 00:12:31.529 --> 00:12:34.889 literally gave away 50 PowerBooks to the attendees. 00:12:35.169 --> 00:12:37.110 Which is a genius marketing expense. You don't 00:12:37.110 --> 00:12:38.769 just give away hardware to be nice. You do it 00:12:38.769 --> 00:12:41.350 to turn 50 influential developers into immediate 00:12:41.350 --> 00:12:43.889 walking evangelists for your platform. During 00:12:43.889 --> 00:12:46.750 that same era, Jobs highlighted that Dragon Systems 00:12:46.750 --> 00:12:48.950 was bringing voice recognition software to the 00:12:48.950 --> 00:12:51.509 Mac. He didn't just mention it. He introduced 00:12:51.509 --> 00:12:54.649 their co -founder, Janet Baker, on stage. Showing, 00:12:54.649 --> 00:12:57.620 not just telling. And that momentum carried right 00:12:57.620 --> 00:13:01.340 into the Siebold Seminars Expo in August of 1999. 00:13:01.960 --> 00:13:04.980 Jobs announced the appointment of Mickey Drexler, 00:13:05.080 --> 00:13:08.580 who was from Gap Inc., to Apple's board of directors. 00:13:08.840 --> 00:13:11.399 Now, why does a computer company need a clothing 00:13:11.399 --> 00:13:14.549 executive? Good question. Because Jobs was already 00:13:14.549 --> 00:13:17.309 signaling the merging of technology and consumer 00:13:17.309 --> 00:13:20.730 fashion. That makes so much sense. He also detailed 00:13:20.730 --> 00:13:23.190 a massive broadcast network partnership with 00:13:23.190 --> 00:13:25.669 Akamai Technologies for QuickTime TV. Bringing 00:13:25.669 --> 00:13:28.590 in heavy hitters. Yeah, BBC News, Fox, Disney, 00:13:28.830 --> 00:13:32.509 HBO, ESPN. This was laying the groundwork for 00:13:32.509 --> 00:13:35.149 streaming media years before YouTube even existed. 00:13:35.409 --> 00:13:38.009 And look at the Mac OS 9 preview from that same 00:13:38.009 --> 00:13:40.169 event. The source list features that we take 00:13:40.169 --> 00:13:41.789 completely for granted today, but we're right. 00:13:41.799 --> 00:13:44.220 revolutionary then. Like what? They demoed Sherlock 00:13:44.220 --> 00:13:46.779 2, which was essentially the granddaddy of modern 00:13:46.779 --> 00:13:49.139 universal search and e -commerce tracking. Oh, 00:13:49.159 --> 00:13:51.220 wow. They showed off multiple users, allowing 00:13:51.220 --> 00:13:53.399 distinct privacy and preferences on a single 00:13:53.399 --> 00:13:55.740 machine for the first time. They introduced voice 00:13:55.740 --> 00:13:58.039 print password, which was early biometric security, 00:13:58.299 --> 00:14:01.129 and they debuted keychain. Which was basically 00:14:01.129 --> 00:14:03.629 their early swing at a system -wide password 00:14:03.629 --> 00:14:05.730 manager, right? Exactly. Password management 00:14:05.730 --> 00:14:08.909 was a novel, confusing concept for the average 00:14:08.909 --> 00:14:11.590 user back then. They had to explain the problem 00:14:11.590 --> 00:14:14.970 before they could sell the solution. So what 00:14:14.970 --> 00:14:17.309 does this all mean? When you look at that sheer 00:14:17.309 --> 00:14:20.190 volume of technical updates, and more importantly, 00:14:20.429 --> 00:14:23.190 the people Jobs brought on stage to demonstrate 00:14:23.190 --> 00:14:25.830 them, like John Warnock, the chairman of Adobe 00:14:25.830 --> 00:14:28.269 Systems, or Apple executives like Phil Schiller, 00:14:28.389 --> 00:14:31.169 it paints a completely different picture of the 00:14:31.169 --> 00:14:33.830 Steve note. It really does. Yes, Steve Jobs had 00:14:33.830 --> 00:14:36.669 massive star power, and he was the ultimate showman. 00:14:36.850 --> 00:14:39.529 But he relied heavily on bringing subject matter 00:14:39.529 --> 00:14:42.370 experts on stage to prove the technical chops 00:14:42.370 --> 00:14:44.519 of the products. Because a great leader knows 00:14:44.519 --> 00:14:46.679 that transferring the spotlight builds immense 00:14:46.679 --> 00:14:49.659 credibility. Right. Why bring the CEO of Adobe 00:14:49.659 --> 00:14:52.240 on stage? Because a beautiful computer is an 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:54.980 expensive paperweight without professional software. 00:14:55.139 --> 00:14:58.000 And Adobe was the gold standard for creatives. 00:14:58.080 --> 00:15:00.639 Very true. The Steve note wasn't a solo act. 00:15:00.740 --> 00:15:03.220 It was a tightly orchestrated ensemble piece 00:15:03.220 --> 00:15:05.720 with Jobs acting as the brilliant conductor. 00:15:06.059 --> 00:15:08.480 I love that framing. And of course, every great 00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:10.500 conductor knows exactly how to end the symphony. 00:15:10.759 --> 00:15:13.850 Ah, yes. Which brings us to the signature move, 00:15:14.049 --> 00:15:17.710 the ultimate crescendo. After presenting the 00:15:17.710 --> 00:15:19.889 sales figures, after the deep technical demos, 00:15:19.990 --> 00:15:22.870 after the guest speakers, Jobs would begin his 00:15:22.870 --> 00:15:25.330 concluding remarks. Wrapping it all up. He would 00:15:25.330 --> 00:15:27.710 thank everyone, the lights might dim slightly, 00:15:27.809 --> 00:15:30.389 and he would physically turn his body as if he 00:15:30.389 --> 00:15:33.070 were about to walk off the stage. The presentation 00:15:33.070 --> 00:15:35.850 was seemingly over. Everyone is getting ready 00:15:35.850 --> 00:15:38.649 to leave. But then, reminiscent of Peter Falk's 00:15:38.649 --> 00:15:41.730 famous TV detective Columbo, Jobs would pause. 00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:44.639 He would turn back to the audience, raise a finger, 00:15:44.740 --> 00:15:47.559 and say, but there's one more thing. This raises 00:15:47.559 --> 00:15:50.019 an important question. Why does this specific 00:15:50.019 --> 00:15:52.720 theatrical trick work so incredibly well on human 00:15:52.720 --> 00:15:54.960 beings? Let's hear it. Psychologically, it is 00:15:54.960 --> 00:15:57.720 manipulative in the best possible way. Throughout 00:15:57.720 --> 00:16:00.419 a one - or two -hour presentation, an audience 00:16:00.419 --> 00:16:03.580 naturally settles into a rhythm. When you signal 00:16:03.580 --> 00:16:06.019 that you are wrapping up, their cognitive guard 00:16:06.019 --> 00:16:09.279 drops. They mentally pack their bags. Exactly. 00:16:09.580 --> 00:16:12.970 The tension leaves their shoulders. By deploying 00:16:12.970 --> 00:16:15.529 the one more thing exactly at that precise moment 00:16:15.529 --> 00:16:18.009 of decompression, you completely subvert their 00:16:18.009 --> 00:16:20.210 expectations. It jolts them awake. It delivers 00:16:20.210 --> 00:16:23.129 a massive spike of adrenaline, surprise, and 00:16:23.129 --> 00:16:26.149 delight. It rewards the audience for their sustained 00:16:26.149 --> 00:16:29.409 attention. And critically, it ensures that the 00:16:29.409 --> 00:16:31.950 presentation ends on an unforgettable emotional 00:16:31.950 --> 00:16:35.120 high note. And the source material provides an 00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:38.059 incredible table of historic one -more -thing 00:16:38.059 --> 00:16:40.820 announcements. This wasn't used for minor software 00:16:40.820 --> 00:16:43.799 tweaks. Oh, these were huge. In 1999, at Macworld 00:16:43.799 --> 00:16:46.840 New York, that phrase was used to introduce Apple 00:16:46.840 --> 00:16:49.960 Airport, literally bringing wireless internet 00:16:49.960 --> 00:16:53.480 to the masses. In 2000, it was the stunning, 00:16:53.580 --> 00:16:58.090 museum -quality Power Mac G4 Cube. In 2006, it 00:16:58.090 --> 00:17:00.669 was the first ever MacBook Pro. Massive product 00:17:00.669 --> 00:17:02.970 lines. This tradition was so deeply ingrained 00:17:02.970 --> 00:17:05.430 in Apple's DNA and so beloved by the culture 00:17:05.430 --> 00:17:07.890 that it actually survived jobs. Which is a heavy 00:17:07.890 --> 00:17:10.990 mantle to pick up. It really is. Kim Cook, who 00:17:10.990 --> 00:17:13.269 succeeded him as CEO, understood the cultural 00:17:13.269 --> 00:17:15.170 weight of that phrase. He didn't use it lightly. 00:17:15.430 --> 00:17:17.829 He couldn't. He let it rest for a while, but 00:17:17.829 --> 00:17:21.089 he deployed it for his own massive reveals. The 00:17:21.089 --> 00:17:23.349 source notes Cook used one more thing for the 00:17:23.349 --> 00:17:26.150 original Apple Watch in 2014, for the launch 00:17:26.150 --> 00:17:29.190 of Apple Music in 2015, the completely redesigned 00:17:29.190 --> 00:17:32.509 iPhone X in 2017, and even the Apple Vision Pro 00:17:32.509 --> 00:17:36.269 at WWDC in 2023. The final impression of those 00:17:36.269 --> 00:17:38.710 events wasn't a dry summary of battery life. 00:17:38.910 --> 00:17:41.849 It was a revelation. It is the ultimate mic drop. 00:17:41.990 --> 00:17:44.309 But of course, every era has to come to an end. 00:17:44.599 --> 00:17:46.619 Yeah. I want to slow down here because the source 00:17:46.619 --> 00:17:48.579 text gives us the solemn details of the final 00:17:48.579 --> 00:17:50.480 Steve note, and it carries a lot of historical 00:17:50.480 --> 00:17:52.920 weight. It's a tough pivot. It took place on 00:17:52.920 --> 00:18:05.519 June 6, 2011 at WWDC. Setting up the future. 00:18:08.920 --> 00:18:17.599 And he passed away on October 5th that same year. 00:18:17.700 --> 00:18:21.089 In a deeply poignant passing of the torch. Tim 00:18:21.089 --> 00:18:23.630 Cook delivered his first keynote as the new CEO 00:18:23.630 --> 00:18:27.369 introducing the iPhone 4S with Siri on October 00:18:27.369 --> 00:18:31.519 4, just the day before Jobs' death. It is a sobering 00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:33.599 timeline, but looking back at the entirety of 00:18:33.599 --> 00:18:35.839 this source material, the legacy left behind 00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:39.380 is undeniably profound. For you, the listener, 00:18:39.559 --> 00:18:41.779 if you want to elevate how you communicate your 00:18:41.779 --> 00:18:44.380 own ideas, the blueprint is right here in this 00:18:44.380 --> 00:18:46.980 history. It is a mix of ruthless consistency, 00:18:47.259 --> 00:18:50.079 like a uniform that removes visual distractions 00:18:50.079 --> 00:18:53.299 and decision fatigue. It is strategic staging, 00:18:53.460 --> 00:18:55.420 moving from crowded environments where you are 00:18:55.420 --> 00:18:58.839 just noise to exclusive, tightly controlled spaces 00:18:58.839 --> 00:19:01.390 where you own the narrative. It is the humility 00:19:01.390 --> 00:19:03.930 to share the stage with experts to build credibility. 00:19:04.109 --> 00:19:07.170 And it is undeniable narrative flair, using tension, 00:19:07.349 --> 00:19:09.750 pacing, and Columbo -style reveals to keep the 00:19:09.750 --> 00:19:11.869 audience utterly captivated. Here's where it 00:19:11.869 --> 00:19:13.910 gets really interesting, though. There is a fascinating 00:19:13.910 --> 00:19:15.710 footnote in the Wikipedia article that I want 00:19:15.710 --> 00:19:17.230 to leave you with today. Oh, the 2020 shift. 00:19:17.509 --> 00:19:21.170 Yes. It notes that in 2020, due to the COVID 00:19:21.170 --> 00:19:23.970 -19 pandemic, all Apple events were forced to 00:19:23.970 --> 00:19:26.809 go completely virtual. They had massive product 00:19:26.809 --> 00:19:28.930 events in September, October, and November of 00:19:28.930 --> 00:19:31.410 that year. Huge events. They introduced the revolutionary 00:19:31.410 --> 00:19:35.369 M1 chip, new Apple Watches, the iPhone 12. But 00:19:35.369 --> 00:19:37.829 these were entirely prerecorded, highly produced 00:19:37.829 --> 00:19:41.170 cinematic segments broadcast to the world. There 00:19:41.170 --> 00:19:43.170 was absolutely no physical audience present in 00:19:43.170 --> 00:19:45.730 the room, just speakers looking into a camera 00:19:45.730 --> 00:19:47.970 lens. It fundamentally changes the energy of 00:19:47.970 --> 00:19:50.230 the room. Exactly. So I want you to ponder this 00:19:50.230 --> 00:19:52.589 as you prepare for your own next big presentation, 00:19:52.890 --> 00:19:55.509 whether you're walking into a boardroom or logging 00:19:55.509 --> 00:19:58.410 on to a video call. If the magic of a Steve note 00:19:58.410 --> 00:20:01.809 relied so heavily on the live, visceral, gasping 00:20:01.809 --> 00:20:04.650 reactions of physical audience to build its famous 00:20:04.650 --> 00:20:07.359 reality distortion field. Wait. How does the 00:20:07.359 --> 00:20:09.460 art of persuasion fundamentally change when you 00:20:09.460 --> 00:20:11.839 are presenting to an empty virtual room? That 00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:15.259 is the question. Without a crowd to audibly gasp 00:20:15.259 --> 00:20:19.160 at that Brit. One more thing. Do the ideas still 00:20:19.160 --> 00:20:21.960 carry the exact same weight? Or do we need to 00:20:21.960 --> 00:20:24.839 invent an entirely new playbook for digital persuasion? 00:20:25.779 --> 00:20:27.539 It's something to think about the next time you 00:20:27.539 --> 00:20:30.119 look into that little green webcam light. That's 00:20:30.119 --> 00:20:32.269 a great thought to end on. We want to thank you 00:20:32.269 --> 00:20:34.829 so much for joining us on this deep dive. Whether 00:20:34.829 --> 00:20:36.890 you are throwing on your own personal uniform 00:20:36.890 --> 00:20:39.849 to reduce decision fatigue or strategizing your 00:20:39.849 --> 00:20:42.309 own one more thing for your next pitch, we wish 00:20:42.309 --> 00:20:44.430 you the absolute best of luck in applying these 00:20:44.430 --> 00:20:46.930 insights to your work. Keep learning, keep questioning, 00:20:47.069 --> 00:20:48.410 and we will catch you next time.