Just a reminder to all the product managers and budding executives who will read this: you are not Apple.

You don’t have a world class consumer computer business, mobile device business, entertainment products business, app store business, etc. etc. to fall back on when you decide to do the bare minimum.

The difference between average & bare minimum for you is the difference between going bust vs. holding steady, or the difference between mass layoffs vs. hiring freeze, or the difference between giving raises and not.

Don’t go off thinking you are a maverick tastemaking Steve Jobs who can toss out “do the bare minimum” as some savant-like wisdom.