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Mike Lee liked thisMike Lee liked thisSeveral people have asked me what product I loved working on the most during my time at Apple. That's a hard question. It's a bit like picking your favorite kid. Every product I worked on holds a special place in my heart (yes, even the Molar and the Cube). The Mac helped me through college. The iPhone changed the world. Apple Watch saves lives. But if I had to choose just one favorite, it would have to be iPod. Not because it transformed Apple from a computer company into a consumer electronics company. Not because it made Apple what it is today. After all, no iPod, no iPhone. And not because I had the opportunity to be part of the small team that helped bring it to life. The real reason is much simpler. iPod brought people so much joy. For most people, it was the first time they could carry their entire music collection with them wherever they went. Suddenly, this magical little device the size of a deck of cards held hundreds—or even thousands—of songs. You could create the perfect playlist for any moment. Or you could hit Shuffle and let fate decide. One of my favorite memories was hearing people insist that Shuffle couldn't possibly be random. They were convinced we had created some secret algorithm because it always seemed to play exactly the right song at exactly the right moment. What they were really experiencing wasn't technology. It was memory. Their memory. A song would come on and instantly transport them somewhere else. Careless Whisper brought them back to an awkward middle school dance. Take My Breath Away reminded them of prom. End of the Road reopened the emotions of their first break up. What's Up transported them back to that road trip with friends, singing at the top of their lungs. The songs and the memories became inseparable. Over the years, so many customers have shared with me what their iPod meant to them. How it meant so much to have that music with them. The wedding song. The breakup song. The song that reminded them of someone they loved. The song that helped them through a difficult time. The iPod was simply the vehicle for those memories, all expressed through song. In 2006, Steven Levy published a fantastic book called The Perfect Thing about the iPod. In it, he quoted me saying: "Being able to pick any music, any album, whenever I wanted to was a feeling of freedom, of empowerment. It was just magic." Twenty-five years later, I still feel exactly the same way. The technology for its time was remarkable, but the emotional connections was what made it unforgettable to me. I've always believed that the best products don't just help people do something. They help people feel something. Looking back, that's why iPod was my favorite product to work on. It wasn't simply a music player. It was a time machine. And for millions of people, including myself, it became the soundtrack to their lives.
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Mike Lee liked thisMike Lee liked thisThe green banner is up! The job market is tough this time around - I've survived and thrived in tough markets before and I will in this one too, but it feels a little different. That said, I am starting to understand the "texture" of this one - its driven by more uncertainty and angst than I have ever seen in my career. Whether its economic trends (interest rates, tariffs), technological trends (GenAI, RTO) or market trends (companies with aging tech stacks, standing on the sidelines waiting for some stability before spending tight dollars) tech hiring mirrors the concerns and anxiety we are all feeling as these trends play out. I have enjoyed a summer of recharge after rolling off my most recent engagement with Adobe, but it's time to get to work! And from my first role in tech (as a tech writer documenting armored gun platforms - "tanks" to us civilians) I have understood one thing very clearly: the only real job security or stability there is in tech, is the ability to get the next role. So, while this market remains a little … wobbly, I am using that mantra to guide my search and application process! In the last couple months: * I have jumped in to GenAI after using some AI-powered tools in my last role to help write stories and capture RCAs. I picked up a Google GenAI Leaders cert - another big step on my journey to understand, and capitalize on, this powerful technology! * Networking - I have been very blessed with the response from folks I have worked with in the past, but they are cannot create jobs where there is no budget, so we talk about kids sports and wait it out * Finding job hunt tools that speed customization for the over-the-transom applications - huntr.co is my current choice * Staying healthy! Getting up, working out, moving my body to keep my brain energized! I am quite certain we are living in another inflection point era - GenAI alone will drive changes impossible to accurately predict at this stage. But there is no question that whether or not the wild energy of this moment results in positive or negative change should not be a passive question for those of us lucky enough to work near the nexus of this disrupting technology. We need to learn these tools, understand their power (and their flaws), and help shape a human-centered version - maybe, as a start, taking a long look at how the amazing initial promise of social media, for example, has become the exemplar for the law of unintended consequences. This is where the interesting work will be in the next decade and because I am surrounded by the amazing energy of my family (close and extended) and the network of work friends, I remain positive, upbeat and ready to GET TO WORK! :) Also, if you are going through this and need some perspective, or more likely, a connection introduction, please do not hesitate to reach out - I am always happy to share!
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Mike Lee liked thisMike Lee liked this'Don't talk about the product!' Rare clip that explains the genius behind Apple's "Think Different" campaign - Steve Jobs in 1997. #technology #marketing #innovation #inspiration
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Mike Lee liked thisMike Lee liked thisAfter more than four incredible years at Samsara, I've decided to return to my hardware roots. Samsara was my third pre-IPO startup, and was truly a "third-time's-a-charm" success story. I'm incredibly proud of the work that we did together, contributing to the foundational products and solutions that helped grow the company to over $1B in revenue. It was an honor to collaborate with so many talented and passionate people over the years and I remain confident in Samsara's continued success. I will be cheering the team on from the sidelines! For now, I'm looking forward to a break to recalibrate as I turn the page on my next chapter.
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Mike Lee liked thisMike Lee liked thisAnnouncing my departure from Square as Head of HW. Many thanks to Christina Royce, Michael MacLennan, Suri Maddhula, Jennifer Whatley and many others for all the support over the past 2 years. Excited for what comes next. Stay tuned...
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