In the minds of many Sonos customers, the audio brand shares many things in common with Apple: neat design, a user experience that's spot on, a closed ecosystem... Assets that have allowed Sonos to maintain high prices despite tough competition, including from Apple.
Steve Jobs not impressed
Well, that was true before the new version of the application went live last spring, which led to the departure of CEO Patrick Spence followed by that of the company's product director. Sonos must now try to win back customers disoriented by the disastrous quality of the app.
In the wake of these departures, blogger John Gruber, always very aware of the behind-the-scenes goings-on in Cupertino, has had confirmation that Apple could have bought Sonos shortly after the company was created (it was founded in 2002). Tony Fadell, the engineer who designed the iPod, tried to convince his boss in 2023 to acquire the brand, in vain.
At the time, Sonos presented its first products in living rooms, including wireless speakers and a remote control equipped with a screen and a wheel reminiscent of that of Apple's portable music player. Steve Jobs wanted to sue Sonos, but after a meeting with the founders of the fledgling manufacturer, Tony Fadell was convinced that an acquisition was in order.
He tried, several times, to convince Steve Jobs that it was the right thing to do. "Seriously," he told his boss, "we're in music. Customers want it. I want it, too." In the early 2000s, Apple was indeed focused on music, with iPods and iTunes establishing a new way to listen to your favorite songs.
Unfortunately, this plea was dismissed out of hand by the founder of Apple, whose response was: "Nobody wants what [Sonos] sells." As visionary as Steve Jobs was, he could also be seriously wrong. Sonos has proven beyond a doubt that its products can appeal beyond a circle of aficionados.
Sonos’ troubles could attract suitors. The company, which has a market capitalization of $1.7 billion, is within reach of an Amazon, a Google, and why not Apple! Interim CEO Tom Conrad rather gives the impression of wanting to work twice as hard to regain the trust of the brand’s customers. But if that doesn’t work, who knows what could happen.
Source: Daring Fireball
0 Comments