TightWind is written by Kyle Baxter. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Ron Johnson:

One of the most common comments I heard was that the Apple Store succeeded because it carried Apple products and catered to the brand’s famously passionate customers. Well, yes, Apple products do pull people into stores. But you don’t need to stock iPads to create an irresistible retail environment. You have to create a store that’s more than a store to people.

This short little piece captures what’s different about Apple’s approach as a whole. They don’t make things to make money. They make money so they can keep making great things. They start with the product first—with building the best product possible—rather than how to make money.

And that little thing, which seems so obvious, makes such a huge difference in what kind of company it is and what they do.