The keyless remote as metaphor for Apple

File under: Business model: values equal profits

I have a car with a keyless remote. This wasn't an option I purchased. In fact, I don't think I ever heard of it. And, when I first took possession of the vehicle, I was among those certain that keyless remote was a gimmick, a trifle; nothing bad, but, really, pointless.

Completely wrong.

I love it. I can't go back to a car that doesn't have it. Yes, digging through my coat pocket or jeans for my keys, whether arms are full of groceries or not, is a pain in the ass. It is absolutely unnecessary. The fact that my car can sense the key is somewhere on my person, and unlock, is a tiny tiny detail that has improved my life. I wil never purchase a car that doesn't have this feature. I don't understand what took car makers so long to offer this. And for the life of me, can't comprehend why not every single car maker doesn't make this standard on every single vehicle.

My wife, though is worse. Having become liberated from rummaging through her bag to find keys, she now takes it *personal* that not every car company offers this feature on every car they make. How little they must think of her, she presumes, by not offering keyless entry.

And that is today's metaphor for Apple. Sometimes, in the purchase of a big piece of expensive equipment, that we will use everyday, we forget that we will actually *use* it everyday. After we have paid our money. After we have compared miles per gallon, engine sizes, handling. There are still a thousand or more details that validate the purchase, that make our lives better. That engender our loyalty to the brand.

You don't improve on minor features, that likely have zero impact on the buying decision, through trial and error. You improve upon them by caring. In a big, cold, fast-moving, anonymous world, caring matters. In fact, I think caring will matter even more as the world gets even bigger, even colder, even faster.