Apple CEO Tim Cook today headed over to Oxford University for the opening of The Oxford Foundry, a new "innovation space" that's open to all University of Oxford students.
Cook was on hand to cut the ribbon at the new location, and afterwards, he sat down for a Q&A session with Oxford students alongside Oxford professors and administrators.
Because he was speaking to a group of students, Cook talked about his early life experiences, how he began to hunt for a job after leaving college, and his decision to join Apple. Early on, he said, his goal was to find a job that he loved. "I wanted to love the work I did," he said. "I no longer have that goal."
Cook says it wasn't an easy decision to join Apple. Everyone he talked to, his list of pluses and minuses, and his spreadsheets told him to stay where he was, but his intuition said something different, and he ended up going with intuitition. "That was one of the most important decisions of my life," he said. "Maybe the most important."
On designing products, Cook told students to "make products that you want to use" and the rest will follow.
Cook went on to explain that it's important to "stick close" to customers, listening to them and making yourself accessible to them. Cook said that's one of the reasons why Apple has retail stores, and it's also the reason why he gets up at "ungodly hours." "I like to spend my first hour going through customer emails," he said. "Because I want to know what they're saying. I want to know what they're feeling."
Cook said he takes inspiration from the artists, doctors, musicians, and others who use Apple products to change the world in some way. On failures, he says students just need to have faith that it will pass.
Cook's interview, which can be watched above, also covered some of his thoughts on Steve Jobs, what he learned from working with Jobs, his view of augmented reality and the future, and his thoughts on who his heroes are.
Article Link: Apple CEO Tim Cook Talks to Students at Oxford University
