---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No matter your interpretation of Apple's…"
description: "\"No matter your interpretation of Apple's success with its Watch, it has become a leader - and it wasn't first to market.\" — Adam Lashinsky"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f5/adam-lashinsky-3927_apple_no-matter-your-interpretation-of-apple-s_2815300.jpg"
---

#  No matter your interpretation of Apple's success with its…

![“No matter your interpretation of Apple's success with its Watch, it has become a leader - and it wasn't first to market.” quote by Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f5/adam-lashinsky-3927_apple_no-matter-your-interpretation-of-apple-s_2815300.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f5/adam-lashinsky-3927_apple_no-matter-your-interpretation-of-apple-s_2815300.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f5/adam-lashinsky-3927_apple_no-matter-your-interpretation-of-apple-s_2815300.jpg)

> “No matter your interpretation of Apple's success with its Watch, it has become a leader - and it wasn't first to market.”

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Apple's Watch succeeded by shaping a new market category and leading it, despite not being the first product.

**In simple terms:** Success comes from leading a new category, not just being first.

Key Takeaway

Focus on creating and owning a category.

Themes

innovation leadership market strategy

Mood

strategic analytical

Type

business insight

When to use this quote

- product launch
- consumer tech
- strategic planning
- competitive analysis

Key Concepts

category creation brand positioning first-mover vs. fast-follower

Questions to Reflect On

- How can a company become a category leader after others?
- What risks exist when entering a market late?

A Different Perspective

Being a follower can limit brand perception if not paired with clear differentiation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apple/) [Apple Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apple-success-1008200/) [Interpretation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interpretation/) [Interpretation Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interpretation-apple-3550096/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Success Watch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-watch-3550094/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Watch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watch/) [Watch Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watch-leader-3550095/)

## Related quotes

> [People who look at Apple's success and think we look at it as, 'Okay, great, we're done,' don't appreciate what's really going on here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-federighi/people-who-look-at-apple-s-success-and-think-we-look-at-it-as-okay/)

[Craig Federighi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-federighi/)

> [“If you choose the right people with the right values and remain in sync with them, you will play beautiful jazz together. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/if-you-choose-the-right-people-with-the-right-values-and-remain-in/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [Apple is a military-like command-and-control organization where people lower down in the organization manage up. They are constantly preparing their boss who may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/apple-is-a-military-like-command-and-control-organization-where/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [The iPod was once so important to Apple that the estimable journalist Steven Levy wrote an entire book about it. And then, poof! The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/the-ipod-was-once-so-important-to-apple-that-the-estimable-journalist/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [“The hallmarks of the Apple product message are, as with so much at Apple, simplicity and clarity. Throughout its history, Apple has unveiled products…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/the-hallmarks-of-the-apple-product-message-are-as-with-so-much-at/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [Sony's Walkman far predated the iPod. Nokia ruled smartphones before Apple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/sony-s-walkman-far-predated-the-ipod-nokia-ruled-smartphones-before/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [What to do with a leading business that's challenged by a new technology wave without hurting an existing profit stream? The single greatest example…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/what-to-do-with-a-leading-business-that-s-challenged-by-a-new/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [Apple does a very good job of not letting its competitors know what it is working on, and Apple does a very good job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/apple-does-a-very-good-job-of-not-letting-its-competitors-know-what/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [“Most people believe the apple merely represented Knowledge. But we know better. It was the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-beverly-whittemore/most-people-believe-the-apple-merely-represented-knowledge-but-we/)

[Miranda Beverly-Whittemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-beverly-whittemore/)

> [I like to make pies. That's kind of my new obsession - peach, blueberry, apple, strawberry. I make a really good pumpkin pie with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-saylor/i-like-to-make-pies-that-s-kind-of-my-new-obsession-peach-blueberry/)

[Morgan Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-saylor/)

> [When Apple introduced its game-changing iPhone in 2007, Nokia was caught sleeping on the job. Although it had actually developed an iPhone-style device -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/when-apple-introduced-its-game-changing-iphone-in-2007-nokia-was/)

[Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/)

> [I'm not only a fan of Apple products, I have stock in the company. I think Steve Jobs has started one of the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-rock/i-m-not-only-a-fan-of-apple-products-i-have-stock-in-the-company-i/)

[Kid Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-rock/)

> [“An apple with a rotten core can only last so long,” he”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-rice/an-apple-with-a-rotten-core-can-only-last-so-long-he/)

[Morgan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-rice/)

> [“Neither's the one you get, less you want me to see if your apple's ripe, yet. - Yoren”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/neither-s-the-one-you-get-less-you-want-me-to-see-if-your-apple-s/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

## More by Adam Lashinsky

> [“The reason you have committees is that you have divided responsibilities,” Jobs said. “We don’t. At Apple you can figure out exactly who is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/the-reason-you-have-committees-is-that-you-have-divided/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [Groceries, TV shows, and shoes are a few categories Amazon has been willing to hang onto for years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/groceries-tv-shows-and-shoes-are-a-few-categories-amazon-has-been/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [Amazon has suffered quarters-long profit droughts. Alphabet has given its investors agita over profligate spending on non-core products. Microsoft's growth - if not its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/amazon-has-suffered-quarters-long-profit-droughts-alphabet-has-given/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [Chip maker Nvidia is the new old thing, an overnight success story years in the making that is having its moment and then some.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/chip-maker-nvidia-is-the-new-old-thing-an-overnight-success-story/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [“George Blankenship, a top executive of Apple’s retail initiative when it began, explained the very real link between storytelling and driving demand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/george-blankenship-a-top-executive-of-apple-s-retail-initiative-when/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [Apple is a military-like command-and-control organization where people lower down in the organization manage up. They are constantly preparing their boss who may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/apple-is-a-military-like-command-and-control-organization-where/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [“The trick with selling breakthrough products is to explain them clearly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/the-trick-with-selling-breakthrough-products-is-to-explain-them/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [Roku collects money two ways: by selling hardware, which it calls 'players'; and by selling advertising and taking a cut of revenues from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/roku-collects-money-two-ways-by-selling-hardware-which-it-calls/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [As the finish line for 2017 begins to come into focus, I'm beginning to wonder what an Uber turnaround would look like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/as-the-finish-line-for-2017-begins-to-come-into-focus-i-m-beginning/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [“Ive’s dreamy insistence on a stainless-steel bezel for iPhones and industrial-grade glass for iPads, for instance, paid off in a way that managers worried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/ive-s-dreamy-insistence-on-a-stainless-steel-bezel-for-iphones-and/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [“I always considered part of my job was to keep the quality level of people in the organizations I work with very high. That’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/i-always-considered-part-of-my-job-was-to-keep-the-quality-level-of/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [Chinese companies, in their well-capitalized, rapidly growing, and surprisingly lightly regulated markets, have become global innovation leaders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/chinese-companies-in-their-well-capitalized-rapidly-growing-and/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [“PC makers put crapware on their computers—antivirus software, subscription offers, and so on—precisely because the revenue is lucrative. Apple forgoes such opportunities time and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/pc-makers-put-crapware-on-their-computers-antivirus-software/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [Innovation has its limits, of course, and Salesforce has proved adept at supplementing its growth with acquisitions, a tool long available to older rivals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/innovation-has-its-limits-of-course-and-salesforce-has-proved-adept/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [“Blankenship described Tesla’s version, an obvious homage to Apple marketing, regarding how to sell its $150,000-plus Roadster. “Zero to sixty in 3.7 seconds,” he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/blankenship-described-tesla-s-version-an-obvious-homage-to-apple/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

[Explore all 119 Adam Lashinsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

## More Apple quotes

> [“Neither's the one you get, less you want me to see if your apple's ripe, yet. - Yoren”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/neither-s-the-one-you-get-less-you-want-me-to-see-if-your-apple-s/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

> [“Most people believe the apple merely represented Knowledge. But we know better. It was the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-beverly-whittemore/most-people-believe-the-apple-merely-represented-knowledge-but-we/)

[Miranda Beverly-Whittemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-beverly-whittemore/)

> [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [“An apple with a rotten core can only last so long,” he”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-rice/an-apple-with-a-rotten-core-can-only-last-so-long-he/)

[Morgan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-rice/)

> [I'm not only a fan of Apple products, I have stock in the company. I think Steve Jobs has started one of the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-rock/i-m-not-only-a-fan-of-apple-products-i-have-stock-in-the-company-i/)

[Kid Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-rock/)

> [When Apple introduced its game-changing iPhone in 2007, Nokia was caught sleeping on the job. Although it had actually developed an iPhone-style device -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/when-apple-introduced-its-game-changing-iphone-in-2007-nokia-was/)

[Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/)

> [I like to make pies. That's kind of my new obsession - peach, blueberry, apple, strawberry. I make a really good pumpkin pie with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-saylor/i-like-to-make-pies-that-s-kind-of-my-new-obsession-peach-blueberry/)

[Morgan Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-saylor/)

> [I love to eat an apple after a meal, just to cleanse my teeth - they always look polished afterwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-zeta-jones/i-love-to-eat-an-apple-after-a-meal-just-to-cleanse-my-teeth-they/)

[Catherine Zeta-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-zeta-jones/)

> [Back in my school days, when I would scuttle off with a cheese roll, an apple, a box of Sun-Maid raisins and a Penguin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-khoo/back-in-my-school-days-when-i-would-scuttle-off-with-a-cheese-roll-an/)

[Rachel Khoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-khoo/)

> [As far as Apple goes, it was a different company every few years from the time I joined in 1984.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/as-far-as-apple-goes-it-was-a-different-company-every-few-years-from/)

[Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/)

> [“You are the apple of Love’s eye.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-paul-kirkpatrick/you-are-the-apple-of-love-s-eye/)

[David Paul Kirkpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-paul-kirkpatrick/)

> [Like a satellite in orbit, Apple is perpetually falling. It just happens to miss Earth every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-dediu/like-a-satellite-in-orbit-apple-is-perpetually-falling-it-just/)

[Horace Dediu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-dediu/)

> [Positive thinking is so firmly enshrined in our culture that knocking it is a little like attacking motherhood or apple pie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/srikumar-rao/positive-thinking-is-so-firmly-enshrined-in-our-culture-that-knocking/)

[Srikumar Rao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/srikumar-rao/)

> [To the extent that anyone anywhere does anything interesting, the question is: 'Why isn't Apple doing that; why is Apple behind in that?' We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-federighi/to-the-extent-that-anyone-anywhere-does-anything-interesting-the/)

[Craig Federighi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-federighi/)

> [I read the Steve Jobs book, and that kind of changed everything. I've been, like, an Apple geek my whole life and have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-eazy/i-read-the-steve-jobs-book-and-that-kind-of-changed-everything-i-ve/)

[G-Eazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-eazy/)

[Browse all 889 Apple quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apple/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "No matter your interpretation of Apple's success with its Watch, it has become a leader - and it wasn't first to market.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Adam Lashinsky"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/no-matter-your-interpretation-of-apple-s-success-with-its-watch-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Apple"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/no-matter-your-interpretation-of-apple-s-success-with-its-watch-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f5/adam-lashinsky-3927_apple_no-matter-your-interpretation-of-apple-s_2815300.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f5/adam-lashinsky-3927_apple_no-matter-your-interpretation-of-apple-s_2815300.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f5/adam-lashinsky-3927_apple_no-matter-your-interpretation-of-apple-s_2815300.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“No matter your interpretation of Apple's success with its Watch, it has become a leader - and it wasn't…” — Adam Lashinsky",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Adam Lashinsky",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "No matter your interpretation of Apple's...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/no-matter-your-interpretation-of-apple-s-success-with-its-watch-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/no-matter-your-interpretation-of-apple-s-success-with-its-watch-it/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
