Tim Cook Reveals the Secret Behind Apple’s Success, Says Can't Be Recreated

Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed the secret behind the company's success during an interview on Sunday. The interaction was part of the Cupertino-based tech giant's upcoming 50th anniversary on April 1. During the conversation, the executive also touched upon Steve Jobs' legacy, the iPhone-maker's philosophy, and how it managed to stay among the top tech companies for the entirety of its existence. He also claimed that replicating Apple's success is near impossible, and the company is in a “party of one.”

Tim Cook Reveals Secret Behind Apple's Success

In an interview with CBS's Sunday Morning, Cook said he brought the company's “we don't look back, we look forward” culture into the company. However, as Apple approaches its 50th anniversary, the CEO said that reflecting on the company's achievements is important to feel grateful and use it as a reminder for why they're working hard. However, he admitted that reflecting on the past felt like developing a new muscle for the company.

The most interesting part of the conversation, however, was Cook discussing the secret behind Apple's long-standing success. The CEO said the secret recipe is people and culture, highlighting, “It's people who create the intellectual property [for a company]. It's the culture that creates the innovation with the intellectual property.”

The executive explained that when a company has hired the right personnel and has built a culture that encourages innovation, it can withstand cycles of change and continue to build products that succeed. “I think Apple is such a unique place; it's not possible to replicate it. That's how I feel. I know a lot of different companies, and I think Apple is just in a party of one,” the CEO said.

Cook also said that it is “remarkable” that Apple is still working on the mission it created on day one — to turn advanced technology into tools. “I note that Samsung started as a dried fish vendor and Nokia was a paper mill, but Apple, after 50 years, is still Apple,” he added.

The Apple CEO also spoke about the “rock tumbler” theory that shapes the company's culture. He said that since the initial days, the company tried to bring together people with different lenses and viewpoints on things so that ideas would clash until the perfect one comes out.