Why Did Steve Jobs Use Crackpots?

A fundamental risk lies at the root of all true innovation. But the most successful ventures do not succeed solely because they are considered risky. Thomas Edison, Marie Curie and Steve Jobs might all have been considered “crackpots” in their respective time periods for their contrarian work and ideas. They undertook serious reputational and financial risk by pursuing paths that were previously unchartered territory. They invested all of their resources into their work, be it time, capital and, most importantly, reputation. But, so did many others that failed. What sets these innovators apart is that they took calculated risks, had a clear vision and refused to quit in spite of harsh criticism. When it comes to modern day innovation, Tesla,

In turn, Beats Electronics is an audio hardware producing company, which sells headphones or speakers for the market. Apple recently acquired Beats as it viewed Beats as a popular product among millennials and Apple wanted to obtain a “hip and trendy” company to add to its already extensive and exclusive portfolio. Success was not always a given for Beats, it took nine years for the company to reach its point of sale. Instead of relying on computer programmers and data engineers similar to the previous companies, Beats relied on a strong marketing campaign to sell its product. The companies’ most notable celebrity marketers are Lil-Wayne, LeBron James, and Serena Williams among many more prominent public figures. As part of their heavy marketing game, Beats by Dre constantly collaborates with top brands such as Alexander Wang or MCM to keep Beats image thriving. The Co-founder, Dr. Dre is a famous rapper who was once part of the group N.W.A and has used his fame to pursue a business career. By putting his name on the company “Beats by Dre”, Dre put his name on the line as if his company failed, his reputation would also go down the drain. Beats were never selling new technology; they are selling a new concept to enter an already highly competitive market dominated by Bose and Marshall. As Beats started to gain traction it was not long until they took a piece of the market share away from competitors. In 2014, Beats controlled 57% of the premium headphone market that had a base price of over $100 (Leopold). Critics have criticized Beats for charging a fortune for headphones that were not the beat quality, “along with the popularity has come a backlash. Beats have been criticized for being a marketing gimmick, a bass-heavy fashion accessory not up to the kind of high-quality audio sound they promote” (Leopold). Beats’ strategy is no different from