2. To create the future, you can’t do it through focus groups. | Forbes: Top 10 Lessons Steve Jobs Taught Us | Comcast.net Finance

There is a school of thought in management theory that — if you’re in the consumer-facing space building products and services — you’ve got to listen to your customer. Steve Jobs was one of the first businessmen to say that was a waste of time. The customers today don’t always know what they want, especially if it’s something they’ve never seen, heard, or touched before. When it became clear that Apple would come out with a tablet, many were skeptical. When people heard the name (iPad), it was a joke in the Twitter-sphere for a day. But when people held one, and used it, it became a ‘must have.’ They didn’t know how they’d previously lived without one. It became the fastest-growing Apple product in its history. Jobs (and the Apple team) trusted himself more than others. Picasso and great artists have done that for centuries. Jobs was the first in business.

(AP/DAPD Photo: Kristy MacDonald)

More From Forbes:
The Evolution of Apple
America's Most Inspiring Companies
20 Companies You Can Start Now



The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.