4 Takeaways from a Fireside chat with Tim Cook at Duke University

Over the weekend, I spent some time at Duke University, where I had the pleasure to listen to Tim Cook, a Fuqua school of business alumni and the CEO of Apple.

Tim Cook at fireside chat at Fuqua school of business

For anyone who knows me, I love technology. Not just the new gadgets, but learning how to incorporate it into my business and being able to then share my knowledge with others who want to do the same.

A few things to note about the fireside chat, Tim was extremely personable (that’s probably because the room only sat a few hundred people) and while Tim spoke for just over an hour, what impressed me the most was that the conversation wasn’t just about Apple’s current share price (there were a few jokes on that).

Instead, Tim talked about his experiences, what it was like to work with Steve Jobs, product development, finding your north star, and what spurred him to join Apple. All-in-all, I took a lot away from the fireside chat with Tim Cook.

Here are a few of my favorites:

 

Steve had a strategy that was very different from everyone else. I loved the fact that he cared so deeply about making products that would change people’s lives. He had a mission much larger than making money. 

-Tim Cook, CEO of Apple

 
“One of the beauties about product development at Apple is that there isn’t a process.” (tweet this)

-Tim Cook

 
On the Apple way…We do things at such a level of detail that you can only do a few things well. That’s how you make products that will change people’s lives.

-Tim Cook

 
On finding your way in a competitive landscape. Find your north star and stay true to who you are. (tweet this)

-Tim Cook

Fun facts: Tim has three photos in his office of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr and there was no sighting of the rumored iWatch.

Question: If you could meet any tech luminary, who would it be and why? You can leave a comment by clicking here.