Steve Jobs' Advice To Nike CEO (VIDEO): 'Get Rid Of The Crappy Stuff'

At Fast Company's Innovation Uncensored conference in New York this April, Nike CEO Mark Parker shared some business advice Apple CEO Steve Jobs had offered to him when Parker took over.

The essence? "Get rid of the crappy stuff and focus on the good stuff."

"Well, he didn't call to offer me advice, but we had worked together on a Nike Apple collaboration called Nike Plus," Parker explained. "Long story short, he said, 'Hey, congratulations, you're going to do a great job.' I said, 'Well, do you have any advice?' And he said, 'No, no, you're great.'

Parker continued, "And then there was a pause and he said, 'Well, I do have some advice. Nike makes some of the best product in the world. I mean, product you lust after, absolutely beautiful, stunning product. But you also make a lot of crap. Just get rid of the crappy stuff and focus on the good stuff.'"

"And then I expected a little pause and a laugh," said Nike's CEO. "But there was a pause and no laugh at the end. And he was absolutely right. In fact ... one of my major focal points in terms of my priorities as a CEO--and even as a designer when I was growing up with the company--is to edit.

Jobs seems to have a soft spot for Nike and its products. He reportedly vowed that Apple would be the "Nike of consumer electronics" when he returned to Apple in 1996.

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Comments

[Reticent]

10:02 AM on 04/28/2010

YES! Even just starting a dialog about QUALITY in this country is a step in the right direction. Cheaper is NOT always better. My grandmother taught me how to look at seams, hems, fabric, cut, fit- and spot quality in clothes. The last thing one should look at it price- and when you do, you'll be surprised. Most of the most expensive things are not made very well, and learning to sew or jobbing out (I have a wonderful local friend make my husbands work shirts, the fit and finish is flawless) is even better than searching for mid-priced well made objects. It can all be done in the US too, without price spikes. The price spike argument is a lie when you factor in the quality issue.

[CountryBeforeParty]

08:50 AM on 04/28/2010

Here's my advice to Steve Jobs...

Use your AMERICAN company to make products in AMERICA

[PlainBread]

09:16 AM on 04/28/2010

Then the price would go up.

[CountryBeforeParty]

12:10 PM on 04/28/2010

And?

[oddymac]

04:03 PM on 04/28/2010

Here's my advice. Do you have the money to buy American made tech?

[CountryBeforeParty]

04:35 PM on 04/28/2010

I buy what I need. I don't have to have every single gadget out there. I don't have to have the latest fad just because it says "Apple" on it.

I realize that sometimes you can't always get everything made in the USA, but you can certainly make the effort.

And if you bring some of these jobs back to the US, while the prices may go up a little, at least you have Americans making more money, so they can afford it.

Actions speak louder than words

[Jtt]

06:03 AM on 04/28/2010

If apple were more open source and not a closed system - yea. But it isn't. Its just hassle free cookie cutter, high end "i haven't got time to talk to you" sparkle and flash.

Linux is about to overtake them. Conceptually it already has.

[crayola 08b]

06:59 AM on 04/28/2010

awww, did someone using a mac hurt your feelings?

[hype-free]

07:40 AM on 04/28/2010

Tell that to all the people making IPhone Apps and huge money.

Linux is Unix for tinkering nerds. It's great for running servers, but not as personal user platform. To many versions and NO large program support.

Next!

[twisted-european]

03:40 AM on 04/28/2010

I don't buy cr*ppy stuff. Sorry, Steve! ;-)

[roninkai]

02:49 AM on 04/28/2010

I use Macs for my work (design) so losing this company would have been huge for my industry.
Who would want to retool their design studios?
Apple almost died when Jobs was fired. But it gave him time to develop Pixar and the NeXt Computer system which OSX comes from.

Multiple tiers of product crossing over each other, no one really knew what to order.
Jobs came back, stock was under thirty dollars, as of right now share are $262.04 down $-7.46.
So I think from a business stand point Jobs is correct, a less "shotgun" more "sniper" approach.

[HonestJohnnis]

01:41 AM on 04/28/2010

Dang Steve, does this mean you're dropping the ipad?

[Dnietz]

03:31 AM on 04/28/2010

The iPad rocks.

You may not be interested because you have no use for it. But I know many people that already have one and use it all day every day.

It all depends on your lifestyle and what you do with computers. For certain people, it is the exact product they need.

I bought one as a gift for a family member and it is perfect for what she needs.

[Jtt]

06:05 AM on 04/28/2010

Ive been using that for a year now. I have dual OSs, I dont pay a monthly fee and I have full multitasking, handwriting and speech recognition.

[oddymac]

04:07 PM on 04/28/2010

Baby the ipad is gong to be all over the place. And it was never meat to replace a pc or a stank netbook. It is the perfect balance of speed, power and utility. Kudos to Apple. I saw a guest in my hotel the other whip out his ipad and I was so nerdy looking at it. I love it but I'm waiting for the next generation with wifi+3G. next year, knock on wood, I'm getting the high end ipad. In a year the ipad ecosystem will be off the hook!

[jayes]

11:33 PM on 04/27/2010

no corporate logo wearer here.

swish (right to the 2nd-hand bin)

[SwingingFromCenter]

10:34 PM on 04/27/2010

Oh, btw, before you Applebots start referring to me as a "blind ha.ter", I should disclose: I own Apple stock. A lot of it.

Not because I like their products or believe in their company, but because I understand the cultlike status his customers have and how he could wrap a piece of feces in a bow, call it the iCra.p, charge 300 dollars for it, and you Applebots would still buy it by the truckload.

[rbryanh]

11:56 PM on 04/27/2010

Exactly right. I throw the elegant, functional products that would otherwise improve my quality of life away once I've unpacked them and removed the little packets of Steve poop that come in every box. I keep them under my pillow, where the unpleasant smell enhances the pointless rage and self-rigteousness of my dreams.

[mozartian]

12:30 AM on 04/28/2010

You have a very low opinion of humanity then.

Apple is currently the third most valued company in the US behind Exxon and Microsoft.

Do you mean to tell me all of those customers bought their products because of some mind trick? Apple has been heavily invested in advertising & marketing from the early 1980's. If your assumption was true, how come they are only successful in recent years?

[Dnietz]

03:29 AM on 04/28/2010

Center Swinger is actually a rightie politically (read his comment history). Not even close to center.

So of course he has a very low opinion of humanity. That is a given for a rightie.

[SwingingFromCenter]

12:32 PM on 04/28/2010

No, no it's not.

For one, Microsoft is not one of the most valued companies. And neither is Apple. Which companies have more value? To start with, Google. Northrop Grumman. Wal-Mart. I could go on for quite a while.

Apple has one of the hottest stocks out there right now, that much is true (and I myself bought in at about 130). But that doesn't make it one of the most "valued companies".

[SwingingFromCenter]

10:33 PM on 04/27/2010

That's not his business plan. If it was his business plan, Apple wouldn't sell any products. Inferior to competitors products, restrictively filtered, lacking functionality.

[roninkai]

02:49 AM on 04/28/2010

I use Macs for my work (design) so losing this company would have been huge for my industry.
Who would want to retool their design studios?
Apple almost died when Jobs was fired. But it gave him time to develop Pixar and the NeXt Computer system which OSX comes from.

Multiple tiers of product crossing over each other, no one really knew what to order.
Jobs came back, stock was under thirty dollars, as of right now share are $262.04 down $-7.46.
So I think from a business stand point Jobs is correct, a less "shotgun" more "sniper" approach.

[Dnietz]

03:28 AM on 04/28/2010

They don't sell any products inferior to competitor's products

[SwingingFromCenter]

10:15 AM on 04/28/2010

Oh really?

iPod: Inferior to the Zune, and most offerings from Creative
iPhone: Inferior to the Android platform
Their computers: I can build a superior PC for half the cost.
iPad: It's a Tablet PC. While it's the only "known" one on the market, it really doesn't do anything differently from any other Tablet out there (and that has been out there for years).

Everything they sell is inferior. The one thing that's superior about their products is their bright and shiny marketing campaigns. But last time I checked, marketing campaigns didn't make for a better product.

[FoxIslander]

10:18 PM on 04/27/2010

".."Get rid of the crappy stuff and focus on the good stuff."


What a remarkable statement. HP...is this news? Is it interesting? is it of any social value?

[mjeffn]

03:10 AM on 04/28/2010

Good advice. So long 'Religious' page.

[hype-free]

07:42 AM on 04/28/2010

Yeah,

It applies to your post!

[blueballs]

10:11 PM on 04/27/2010

Funny, after 25 years and single digit market share for their flagship product, I've never really thought the advice of Mr. Jobs was worth listening to. Except on how to jump the line in getting a liver. THAT he (apparently) is an expert about.

[hellostats]

12:40 AM on 04/28/2010

Oh, you silly di|do. :) Just take a look at Apple's market cap.

[HonestJohnnis]

01:42 AM on 04/28/2010

hahaha... fanned

[Lohikaarme]

10:06 PM on 04/27/2010

That "advice" is as old as the Sun. Steve should be sued for copy right infringement.

[Dnietz]

03:32 AM on 04/28/2010

If it is that old then it is in the public domain. Did the original copyright holder renew the copyright consistently for all the many many years?

[CPNASH]

10:01 PM on 04/27/2010

Apple make great shoes! Only problem, two weeks later when one gets a hole, replacement parts are no longer in existence. I have to buy a new updated pair of shoes.

...but honestly, when Apple products DO work they're excellent, I just hate how it feels to be a customer...I feel like I'm a lab rat for every one of their glitchy experiments. This is why I can't even look at Steve Jobs.

[Dnietz]

03:36 AM on 04/28/2010

Apple products can be purchased with a 3 year service agreement. If you have that, they fix anything during that time for no charge.

In comparison, Dell and Lenovo have a similar setup. The 3 years of coverage costs extra just like Apple. They cover all hardware failure.

Apple hardware and Dell and Lenovo last about the same length of time. If anything Apple is a bit more durable, but eitherway. Even with Dell, if you are in the 4th year and a part needs replacement, you may be screwed. Dell motherboards are custom and can only be purchased from Dell if you are lucky (likely no after 4 years).

The same general issues apply. There is no difference in reality.

[oddymac]

04:14 PM on 04/28/2010

Apple has its own OS and they make their own systems. Dell uses MS's OS and their intellectual computer property. Dell is nothing but a troll seller of off the shelf pc parts that they flood onto the market.
And Apple has had how many notebooks, and desk tops since Jobs came back a decade ago? Not many. Now go and look at the number of pcs Dell has flooded the market with. Give me a break. And Apple takes a long time to release a new iteration and they are still profitable. NO ONE IN THE PC GAME IS RELEASING JUST ONE MODEL OF A PC A YEAR.

[anniebuddy]

09:27 PM on 04/27/2010

Good products? To make good products, stop the "planned obsolescence". I understand technology changes rapidly. But there are too many products that fall apart or break too quickly because they're specificially made to do exactly that. And they try to sell you insurance to alleviate their problems with poor quality.

[mozartian]

12:34 AM on 04/28/2010

From my experience Apple products have lasted much longer than offerings from competing firms.

The worst products that plan obsolescence are printers and these new LCD TV's. Do you have any idea how many angry people are at the service of Samsung from their units just refusing to work after one year and at the horrendous state of their repair service.

[anniebuddy]

11:04 AM on 04/28/2010

Yes, Apple actually has a good record. I was talking about product manufacturing in general and not Apple specifically.

[j main]

08:33 PM on 04/27/2010

He should follow his own advice. Have you tried using IPhoto? How about ITunes?

[planetmango]

09:52 PM on 04/27/2010

I use iTunes and iPhoto all the time. Have for years. Both are good programs.

[HonestJohnnis]

10:52 PM on 04/27/2010

Both mediocre products in the grand scheme of things.

[Krek]

09:53 PM on 04/27/2010

To the person who flagged the above post as 'abusive': grow up.