Business experts explain why Apple is at the top of the game. David Wilson reports.

Apple's success story looks set to be studied in business schools for decades - likely by students reading from iPads, not textbooks. The tech giant rose from the brink of extinction in 1997 to become the world's most valuable company.

Now, according to CNNMoney, Apple is worth more than Greece is - more than $400 billion. Despite criticism of working conditions at its Chinese Foxconn plant, Apple is widely seen as the world's most impressive company.

So what is Apple's secret? A policy of brutal simplicity - Apple relentlessly cuts to the chase, according to a former Apple marketing guru, Ken Segall, in his new management guide, Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success.

"Apple took a month to conceive and create a campaign," Segall writes. "Dell required a month just to talk about strategies.

"Apple ended up with the Think Different campaign. Dell ended up with a stack of presentation boards stored neatly in a dark closet."

Segall - an advertising industry veteran who has attended countless marketing meetings inside Dell, IBM and Intel - says Apple simplifies every procedure, with no time-consuming focus-grouping (product testing). Internal meetings are kept short and sharp.

The refusal to stuff around stems from the influence of the late Apple co-founder and boss, Steve Jobs, who rebuilt the firm after a 1985-97 spell in the wilderness. Clad in his trademark black turtleneck sweater, the laser-like Jobs insisted on straight talk and raw content - whiteboard diagrams rather than PowerPoint.

Apple's website (apple.com) embodies Jobs's devotion to plainness, Segall says. So, too, according to Segall, does Apple's slim product range and its streamlined top gadget, the iPhone.

Most companies are fuzzier than their managers realise, Segall says. "Just open a few random emails on your company account, activate your 'brutal-vision' and read. The muddying messages are rampant."

Sydney business coach Alex Pirouz echoes Segall's belief that simplicity is key.

"The business landscape has changed enormously in the past two decades," says Pirouz, an adviser at the Monash Asia-Pacific Centre for Science and Wealth Creation. He says the marketplace has grown overcrowded.

Competition is fiercer than ever, he says. The pace is so fast that any business eager to "truly thrive" must adopt business models that are simple to build and replicate. A complicated business runs the risk of losing market share.

However, complications abound, says business strategist Barry Maher, whose clients include the US government and financial services giant Wells Fargo.

"Any company can find more complex ways of doing even simple things, and virtually every company does," says Maher, who is also an author and speaker. "Bureaucracy replaces leadership. Procedures substitute for vision. It's a triumph of mediocrity.

"On the other hand, the best leaders cut through the clutter and find the core of simplicity."

APPLE'S SIMPLE SECRETS

Think brutal:
You need not be mean but you should be brutally honest. Avoid half-truths. Ask people you interact with to do likewise. Save yourself time and energy.

Think small:
Embrace the value of small groups of smart people. Small, savvy groups yield better results, higher efficiency and improved morale — if the mix is right. The final decision maker should be constantly present.

Think minimal:
Understand that every time you try to convey more than one idea, you splinter the attention of your audience, be it clients or colleagues. If you must issue multiple messages, find a uniting theme and push it hard.

Think motion:
The perfect project timeline takes enormous effort to figure out. But once you do, you will have a template to play with that fuels success. Remember to avoid making your timeline "comfortable". A touch of pressure is handy.

Think iconic:
Crystallise your thinking by exploiting an image that symbolises your idea. Never forget the power of an image to galvanise your audience. Be simple. Be strong.

Think phrasal:
Words are powerful but wordiness is confusing. Dissertations drive people away. The way to make you and your company look smart is to put your ideas simply and clearly.

Think casual:
As Steve Jobs did, shun corporate trappings. Instead, work like a start-up, which makes everyone more productive and boosts your chances of growth.

Think bold:
Expect others' first reactions to be negative. Routinely, people will tell you something cannot be done, when your workforce just needs to make more effort. Believe in the talent of your people to work miracles.

Source: Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success.