An interesting question asked during ongoing AllThingsD conference that what Steve said to you to encourage you to join Apple. Cook replied by saying that, “It was a very interesting meeting. Steve had hired an executive search firm to find someone to run operations. I had gotten a call a few times and said no. They kept calling and they kept calling.”
He flew out Friday for a Saturday morning meeting. Five minutes into the conversation I want to join Apple. He was taking Apple deeply into consumer at a time when others were doing the opposite. “I have never thought following the herd is a good strategy. You are destined to be average at best.”
“I thought I am going to throw caution to the wind and do this,” Cook said, adding he resigned immediately. He can’t say he saw iPhone and iPad coming. But he saw the passion in Apple customers as well. “An Apple customer was a unique breed.”
