That approach may have been viable early in the category's life, but seems unsustainable as new entrants drive down prices. I wonder if Cook, being the ops guy he is, would allow the same expenditures.
Also, it would be unfortunate if the takeaway was "market research has no value". Indeed, later in the interview, when discussing "Why the mouse?" he says:
'We’ve done a lot of studies and tests on that, and it’s much faster to do all kinds of functions, such as cutting and pasting, with a mouse, so it’s not only easier to use but more efficient.'
Clearly, in this case, they didn't trust that they could create "the best thing we could build".
Also, it would be unfortunate if the takeaway was "market research has no value". Indeed, later in the interview, when discussing "Why the mouse?" he says:
'We’ve done a lot of studies and tests on that, and it’s much faster to do all kinds of functions, such as cutting and pasting, with a mouse, so it’s not only easier to use but more efficient.'
Clearly, in this case, they didn't trust that they could create "the best thing we could build".