Apps, Apple, and Arvind Jha go together

Movico Technologies CEO Arvind Jha, an active member of Nasscom EMERGE Forum, is concentrating on the apps part of the EMERGEOUT conclave at Delhi on August 25. YourStory was interested in knowing how Arvind got interested in apps. He tells Venkatesh Krishnamoorthy, chief evangelist, YourStory about his obsession with Apple and apps.

Why I got interested in apps

I am basically interested in content-related technologies. I worked at Indian distributor for Apple long time back in the 1980s. Since then, I have been fascinated by the power of technology to have an impact on content generation, distribution and consumption. Content could start from Word document. I spent a fair amount of time at Adobe in India. Adobe is a strong player in content.

iPad is just not a product. It is a revolutionary integration of multiple technologies – digital, multimedia, touch, form factor. It is an interactive platform for content consumption and distribution. This has generated a fair bit of interest on apps for iPad. We are interested in extending our online video portfolio into iPad, iPhone type of apps. We are also interested in independent apps both ebook and game kind.

Apple’s marketing that wins all the time: Why?

Apple has consistently overdelivered. Their amazing track record sets high expectations. With every release, they are able to better themselves. The formula that seems to have emerged is with every release, they will create at least one revolutionary feature -- trackball in iPod, touch screen in iPhone, wireless in iPad. So it creates one important feature on functionality or usability. This knockout feature may or may not work. But there will something in Apple’s product for the user. They hide it. They don’t reveal it public. You are always kept guessing what’s in store from Apple. The press loves the mystery. Mystery creates its own excitement. This creates frenzy among developers who want to be there first.

As part of Steve Jobs’ vision, he will push the engineering team to deliver something spectacular. Microsoft or Adobe have not done that. Others are focused on new releases. In effect, the product becomes fatter and slower. This is not the Apple way.

Also charisma and aura of Steve Jobs plays a role. Great companies have great leaders. There is a little bit of rebel in all of us. Apple represents that rebel in us. They challenge conventional thought and wisdom. They succeed too and we all want to be like that.

They have played a picture of underdogs, unconventional guys and have consistently overdelivered. Their market cap has recently overtaken Microsoft’s and there is a talk that Apple is the big boy now.

Learning for Indian product companies from Apple

Build a great product with simple usability with simple elements of design. Apple is well known for its extraordinary simplicity of design. You should have persistence to execute that design. Then you should create a marketing story around that design. Apple’s earplug campaign around iPods was a huge hit. Their campaigns create a cult following. Indian companies are shy of spending money on marketing. Personality also helps. You need a flawed genius at the top to give you that kind of superlative performance.