I Built a Bike for Steve Jobs
Hello Steve,
I built a bike for you. I wish you could see it because I think you would love it.
Of course, knowing your attitude for perfection, there is a chance you might say “This is complete shit”. No worries. As long as you know that I was inspired to create this bike, by you and for you, I am happy.
You taught me to obsess about details
I love to look at the beautiful lines on my MacBook Air and iPhone. I am sure you would appreciate the obsession I have for the beautiful details on my bikes too. For example, why don’t people make beautiful lugged frames anymore? I think you would understand the classy and minimalistic look; the way the frame lines up symmetrically throughout the bike; the simplistic design that shows off all these beautiful lines and curves on the bike. I love it, and I think you would too.
You gave me the courage to say No
I remember you said “people don’t know what they want until you show it to them”. You showed me that I need to stand up and choose not just the best components but also the right ones for our customers. I know Apple thrives to find the best hardware and create the best user experience for me, and now I need to create the best design and find the best components for my customers too.
It is frightening to do things different from the norm, but you showed me that I need to stand up for our customers. We decided to cut down customization components to 4, when competitors offer over 10. We decided that too many options will be overwhelming, and so we focused on the parts that really matter.
When we offer leather saddles for my customers, I do not worry about 20 different saddle colours for customers to choose from; instead, I offer a bike that’s beautiful, simplistic and just enough options so a customer won’t be overwhelmed, but still delighted that they can make this bike unique to them.
You showed me that customer experience counts
You made me feel special when I buy at your Apple stores. I know you guys do not see me as a “crazy one”, but as a genius who wants to change the world. I always believe you will offer me the services that I need, without hassle. I feel that sense of pride, emanating from the people who worked at Apple stores. And I feel good being provided service by them.
You inspired me. Not just my obsession for design, but how I can take our service to another level. Even though I only sell my bikes online, I want to give the same level of service I find in a store like yours. I only look for mechanics who are passionate about cycling, the same way your employees are passionate about Apple.
I want our customers to feel comfortable with every detail on our bikes, so we send these personal mechanics to their homes, and assemble the bikes for them. I want our bikes to fit our customers like a glove, so they can enjoy riding the same way I do. We can represent more than just beautiful, but exceptional services as well.
But I know I am not you….
I am not a product genius like you. I am scared that I might make the wrong decisions, because, let’s face it: nobody can be you. I do not have enormous capital from Sequoia or big factories around the world. I run experiments to validate my daring hypothesis that were inspired by you, one experiment at a time. I might not change the world profoundly like what you did, but I am going to continue as far as I can go.
One last thing:
I miss the inspiration you brought to the world, and so do many across the globe. The world with you was exciting. You might be a difficult person, but you were difficult for a higher purpose. You made me want to be a better entrepreneur. If you could see it, I hope you would enjoy this bike that I built for you. Thank you for all your inspiration. I will take it and hustle my way to every milestone ahead of me. One day at a time.
