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Mastermind Alliance II: MVP

In 1976, Apple released their first computer. It was mainly hardware, a board. The two Steve’s sold the belongings to make it happen. Woz sold his awesome calculator and Jobs his VW car. They enlisted a buyer who made an order but they didn’t have capital to fulfill the order, regardless they moved things around and managed to create the required units. This was their MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and it was a success, the start of Apple computers. After their MVP, they set their eyes on designing and creating a fully-fledged computer to be named the “Apple 2”. They formed a “Mastermind Alliance” with Mike Murkela who funded them for a ownership stake in the start-up. A mastermind alliance is an understanding or a partnership that two or more entities share to get to a particular goal. It was a perfect union. Murkula got an ownership stake for his investment and a business and the two Steve’s got capital to build the Apple 2 and business experience, guidance and mentorship from the more father-figure Murkula. The release of Apple 2 was a success and everyone was rewarded. Apple 2 is the reason, there is a Apple today. But without a mastermind alliance nothing big can really happen because a company needs resources and infrastructure to expand. Nothing lasts forever and it’s difficult to stay on top. A master alliance helps establish a competitive advantage – imitators are usually rife after the success of a product. Steve Jobs established a closed system for Apple and made it exclusive and further used vertical integration as a business model. Vertical integration is when a company controls all its operations from manufacturing to distribution. Apple has its own operating system, distribution system with Apple stores, ITunes and retail stores, it controls the whole experience. When Apple said “Think Different”, they meant it. They are on a class of their own, they are alone. They will always have a competitive advantage because all of their products are linked. Everything is custom-made for the Apple user. Epic games are suing Apple for charging too much commission, but I feel it’s in vain because they Epic games are operating in Apples domain. It’s like somebody making the rules in your house. The Apple store is Apples, they decide how much commission to charge, if you don’t like it – tough! Yes they are operating as monopoly but their business model enabled them to be distinguished, they deserve their power because they created the market – this is the brilliance of Apple. After the MVP, you need a mastermind alliance, it is vitally important.

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Conform or not to conform

Conforming has its advantages for example if you are starting an online community, you have to understand the ecosystem and adapt to make it your own. You have to understand what works and what doesn’t to create a framework and structure for your newly formed community. When you have a structure and framework you can slowly add what’s different about you. Being different from the get go is not wise because you can get shunned and ignored, that’s not good for creating a self-sustaining brand. Different doesn’t necessarily mean good. You have to conform to a certain point because to conform entails to be emphatic and empathy makes you relateble and likeable. To conform is to understand and to be compassionate because you can mirror people’s mannerisms, tastes and conducts.

A perfect example of conforming to be different is with the Apple 2. When it was released it was just like a lot of computers in a lot of ways. It could run on any operating system, it could be modified to the users tastes and had multiple USB ports. Steve Jobs later changed everything about the Apple 2 with later products to reflect what Apple stood for, to be different, to have a rebellious spirit and to have taste. Apple needed to stand out from the rest of the market and set the benchmark. He closed off everything so Apple could run on its own operating system and reduced the multiple USB ports to just two ports for the modem and printer. The decision to close off Apple was the difference maker and is the reason Apple is the most valuable company in the world. Apple of course is vertically integrated today owning and controlling everything from operating systems to distribution. But they had to conform first. Not conforming makes you different and can provide an edge to inspire innovation that can make you successful, however it’s not always guaranteed. You need to be flexible enough to know how to fit in and then go out.

Warren Buffet is a perfect example of this. He lives far away from Wall Street to avoid the noise and clutter. He doesn’t follow the news. He is sheltered in Omaha. However when it suits him and his business interests, he can be attuned in and make decisions everyone else can’t see because of his different perspective. As opposed to news and loud untrustworthy bulletins, he has trusted sources from within Wall Street, that gives him the advantage. You conform to understand and then make your own way.

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