Queuing for change

I waited in line by myself to buy the first Apple iPod in 2001.

I arrived about 20 minutes before the Apple Store in my hometown of Columbus opened. It was the debut of Apple’s first handheld device at one of its first retail stores in the US.

Two experiments at once.

Less than six years later, I queued for hours with thousands to buy the first iPhone at the Apple Store in San Francisco. The line stretched down Stockton St and around O’Farrell St. People dressed in costume (never a surprise in SF). Tourists asked if we were waiting for tickets to see Jersey Boys. I said, “Yes.”

We all know what happened next.

Apple created a cultural phenomenon, led a tech revolution, and became a financial juggernaut. All because they gave people a more delightful experience, a more compelling product, and a more persuasive value prop that justified its premium price point.

They also created a movement to connect and celebrate being human in the digital age.

Steve saw every product as “a way of expressing our deep appreciation to the rest of our species.” In other words, gratitude.

The early days of Sawtooth last year often felt like standing in line alone in 2001.

We’re far from the magic Apple created, but we’re applying the lessons and putting our unique spin on them.

The queue is forming now.