Product Management case study: Microsoft has a LONG way to go
Apple is like a hunter; they pick their target, wait for their moment, and dominate their prey when they attack. They then throw you in the bed of their metaphorical truck, take you home, and wrap you up in an elegant package with a single Apple logo on top.
Before Microsoft can compete with Apple in the hardware and consumer software game, they have light years of distance to cover. Ever since Microsoft released their ARM based surface tablets almost 10 years ago, they have been continuously damaging their reputation in the high end tech market.
I get it, it’s natural to want to compete with a massive threat like Apple, but Microsoft is famous for not fully understanding their target demographic. Originally, Bill Gates wanted a PC in every home, but that has been twisted to a habit of being the jack of all trades and appealing to the lowest common denominator. Microsoft has really always been good at one primary thing: building operating systems. From the all around Windows OS, to now the more broad enterprise operating system of Azure, they are killing it in this area. They are the leader in cloud computing and in helping companies scale and advance their infrastructure. Their work in that space is unbelievably impressive. But it seems as though Microsoft mistakes their size for their ability to do everything at once (something Amazon is actually pretty good at).
So what did Microsoft do? They created tablets, laptops, and awkward hybrids that try to do both jobs. They created the Surface, Surface Pro, Surface Book, and now the Surface Laptops. Not only that, they are now mixing Intel and AMD based processors into their lineup at the same time, and this is causing trouble. Being a thought leader in the industry is risky, so trying to move the market away from Intel and onto the AMD Rayzen processors is an admirable move, but they are failing hard, and every misfire sets them back 2 steps from significantly taking market share away from Apple.
No matter how beautiful your product or how many new bells and whistles you put on your computer, the high end tech consumer market will not forgive you for half-assed software and hardware. If Microsoft wants to take away market share from Apple in the luxury computer space, they have to stop this shotgun approach and develop a relentless attention to detail.
With few exceptions, which I will go over, Apple does not release lemons. They don’t do massive redesigns every year; instead, they refine. When they try to be leaders in the market, they do it one feature at a time and they stick to their guns. Additionally, when they release something, they make damn sure it is the absolute best performing and most beautiful product they could possibly make. For these reasons, their products are timeless. With Microsoft, you can see 4 generations of different operating systems in their flagship product, Windows 10 (open up control panel in Windows 10 to get a time capsule view of Windows 7).
Let’s compare:
Apple:
> iPhone- removing headphone jack: they did this all at once and stuck to their guns because they knew Thunderbolt was the new best port. Now today, windows machines (Lenovo, Dell, Windows) all use USB-C and Thunderbolt. They took a risk, and they bet correctly. But they took ONE risk at a time.
> Butterfly keyboard: here is an example of a failed risk. They tried to innovate, and over the next few years, they received numerous complaints about quality and now are removing the design from their new machines. Once again, because they take slow, calculated risks, they were able to listen to their market and revert to a tried and true design without a large reputation as damage. Problem solved. If anything, this increase their clout with the MacBook Pro 16”.
> iPad/ MacBook Pro: this isn’t a feature, but more of a strategic choice to separate their touchscreen product from their computers. Why? Because they understand their market. While touchscreen laptops are nice features, they are not showstoppers. They know that the majority of their heavy users such as designers, developers, animators, and musicians, do not gain much utility from the touch screen when they are working. They simply need a high performance machine to handle everything they need. And because Apples trackpads are SO good, people must the touchscreen even less. They also know that IPads are primarily used for web browsing and apps, so a touch screen is perfect here. I have had touch screen laptops, and I hardly used it. When I did, I used it for note taking and whiteboards, both of which I would prefer the real thing. However, Apple did release an IPad Pro: which is a more performance based IPad. But once again, they are innovating slowly and steadily, not showing all their cards at once.
> Even though their have not integrated touch screens into their laptops, Apple still beats Microsoft in the touchscreen game. You don’t believe me? Trade in you IPhone or IPad for literally anything else and see what happens. Sensitivity is decreased, more bugs, etc.
Microsoft:
> Surface: their original surface was an innovation. So they get kudos for that. Although, Apple already had the iPhone. But their original tablet had an ARM based processor, which meant most apps were not able to run on it. So they took their Windows 8 OS (a sad attempt at combining windows 7 with a more touch friendly design), put it on a tablet, and basically made what appeared to be a touchscreen laptop that couldn’t be used for anything other than office applications. Their surfaces have gotten better since then. They decided to be smart and put Intel chips in them. The Surface sparked the tablet market into existence.
> Windows: their flagship product, THE operating system of the world, is a buggy mashup of multiple generations of older OSs. Their file system manager, device manager, and most of the back end UIs that aren’t the main desktop screen are still mirror images of Windows 7. This is a prime example of wanting to just get something new out the door at a hurried attempt to stay relevant in the consumer space. Ultimately, all this will do is make them relevant to consumers that don’t want to pay a lot and are not detail oriented enough to care about the quality flaws.
Surface book: I was really excited for this one when it came out. A direct shot across the pond at MacBook Pro users, Microsoft signaled that they were ready to compete directly with Apple. The value proposition was strong: great compute, lots of ram, a sleek design, and all in a hybrid laptop tablet! It’s basically a MacBook Pro if it had a touch screen.
Well, that was the idea at least. If you actually used this device, the quality difference appears immediately. The MacBook Pro is dense, with a single metal body. But the surface still feels like plastic like every other windows based laptop. Lenovo and Dell are just now starting to realize that this is an antiquated design, as people are learning not to pay thousands of dollars for a high end machine wrapped in hard shell plastic (Think pads, most Dells). The $3000 surface book still feels cheap and breakable. Turns out it is! If you go to buy the newest surface book, or any surface for that matter, you will see on the Microsoft website that half of the reviews complain of cracked screens, start up issues, firmware problems (due to rushed adoption of the Rayzen processors), screen burns, glitchy OS, faulty batteries, thermal problems, and more. So not only are you paying the same price as a MacBook Pro, you are paying even more to get your screen repaired, or to even get a full replacement(s) of your machine. I get that these issues don’t happen to everyone, but they happen FAR too often for a machine that costs well over $2000. I can get a MacBook Pro with an i9 processor and 32G of RAM for the same price (in fact, I did exactly that). MacBooks also have boot camp, so I can have a Mac AND Windows machine all in one monster laptop. (This is my current setup). I tried so hard to get a Windows based laptop. I tried the Dell XPS, the Lenovo X1 Extreme, the Surface Book, and the Surface Laptop. None hold a candle to MacBook, even for windows users.
MacBook realized a long time ago that attention to detail is key in pleasing the high end consumer market. Microsoft can get away with selling over priced computers for now based on their reputation, but not for very long. Their reputation continues to dwindle in the laptop and tablet space. Are Apple’s products overpriced? Yea probably. But I have also had a MacBook Pro for over 10 years, and it looks and works like it’s brand new. So over the total lifetime, probably not so overpriced. Will I pay $6000 for a monitor? Absolutely not, but I will buy their computers.
Just take Apple’s trackpad and compare to ANY other computer ever. If you’ve never used an Apple trackpad, it is amazing. Better than a mouse by far. It is sensitive and intuitive, whereas ALL Microsoft based PCs trackpads feel like they are still in the early 2000 era. Apples trackpads 10 years ago are better than the PC trackpads today. That is sad.
Overall, this provides a valuable lesson to people that own companies, develop tech products, or even product managers. Find what you are good at, do it as best as you physically can, and do not compromise on quality, ever. Steve Jobs was an asshole to work with, but it’s because he demanded that people have higher standards for what they built. Try not to be an asshole, but also don’t let people build half assed garbage just to meet a deadline (also don’t built garbage yourself). There is no point in meeting a deadline if you eventually lose your customer base.
Next, is that long term strategy and focus is key in building a brand and company. You must always keep the vision in mind, aggressively prioritize your goals, and focus hard on a few things, rather than scramble to make a dent in all things. This will render you irrelevant in all areas you compete in. Apple is like a hunter; they pick their target, wait for their moment, and dominate their prey when they attack. They then throw you in the bed of their metaphorical truck, take you home, and wrap you up in an elegant package with a single Apple logo on top.
In the luxury consumer market, Microsoft is taking the shotgun approach. When they shoot, they pepper up their prey nicely (Dave Chapelle reference), but they all eventually escape their grasp. If you want to be a leader, you are hunting big game. You need patience, focus, and a high powered rifle, not a 12 gauge wrapped in pretty camo.
To reiterate, I still have a ton of respect for Microsoft, they are doing amazing things in the cloud computing and development space. I’m just saying, if I was an exec or product manager for their consumer products or their Windows OS, I would eliminate half of their offerings and spend the next year or two making the surface laptop a flawless machine with a beautiful and timeless operating system with a relentless focus on user experience and flawless performance. No more extra bells and whistles. Bells without a clapper are just cones. I would focus the product roadmap, slow down the dev team, and request near perfect before any release.