As you may recall, the late Steve Jobs was said to have a reality distortion field in the way he saw the world. It was articulated that Steve would create alternate realities which were actually distorted realities. Since his passing his reality distortion field still exists but it has moved from inside Apple to outside Apple. Mainly to the many on the street and the mainstream media (just looking for headlines) who have caught the reality distortion field syndrome and now live in a reality distortion field and believe in a reality that does not exist.
I wrote two articles that should help any smart person understand the landscape of the tech industry. The first one was titled What Tech Company is More Healthy Than Apple. The second I wrote yesterday called Google or Microsoft? That is the question. It is designed to give you the perspective of the landscape from an OEM (not named Apple) shoes and the immense challenges that lie in front of them. If you read them both in succession, I do not personally see how you walk away with any doom and gloom scenario for Apple.
However, even more data came out today proving that most outside observers and naysayers have caught the reality distortion field.
Fortune today released their list of Worlds Most Admired Companies. This is not a list of just tech companies but simply of enterprises on a global level from every field. This work and research is done in conjunction with the Hay Group and it surveys 15,000 business executives and directors to rate their peers in several different category. To use an analogy, this survey is like ones in sports where athletes vote for other athletes they think are the leaders in certain categories.
The result is in. The global industry professional audience has voted Apple the MVP of the business world. The Hay Group, in conjunction with Fortune, found that Apple is the world’s most admired company. Apple came out number one in the following four categories:
– The Worlds Most Admired Company
– The Worlds Most Admired Tech Company
– Most Admired in Innovation
– Number 1. in product quality
People say Apple is doomed, people say they have lost their “mojo” but those in the industry running actual fortune 500 companies disagree. They still say Apple is the gold standard on many levels. This is just more fuel for the fire that the reality distortion field has moved from Apple the company and out into the views of those who have lost the ability to think critically about Apple.
Fortune’s own description in the listing should be enough to burst the reality distortion field.
it (Apple) remains a financial juggernaut, posting $13 billion in net income last quarter, making it the most profitable company in the world during that period.
Apple is the most profitable, can’t make enough products to meet demand, is the most admired by its peers, yet it is doomed. Reality distortion field.
The facts don’t line up with the picture being presented by the street and the headline seeking mainstream media. And the most unfortunate thing about it is that it is affecting many who aren’t stuck in the reality distortion field. Apple’s shareholders.
There are many good people who understand that Apple is positioned for success and made wise long term decisions to have Apple stock as a part of their retirement funds and who either depend or will depend on that money some day. In my opinion, Apple’s shareholders are being punished for being wise. I do not own any Apple stock but if I did I would be livid at the fact that all the evidence in terms of health and signs of long term success favor Apple. Yet the Street continues to play the game and live in the reality distortion field. The media is to blame as well because as unfortunate as it is they can to a degree, alter public sentiment in incorrect ways simply because they have the desire to chase page views with a catchy headline full of half-truths.
We can only hope that wiser minds prevail but one thing is certain. Those who run and manage billion dollar companies find Apple the gold standard. We can only be glad that those living in the reality distortion field don’t run those billion dollar companies or our world would really be in trouble.