Sequencing Apple's DNA

Appendix 3On Purposefully Recalling Leonardo Da Vinci Design Innovation Codes

“Ideas are everywhere, but knowledge is rare.”

Thomas Sowell

This appendix provides a study of how Leonardo Da Vinci worked, based on numerous books about the Master, trips to the region of Vinci, in Tuscany, Italy, and discussions with referent scholars over the years 2006–2014. The specific references provided at the end account for these.

The purpose of this is to show an anterior instance of how a master of innovation routinely worked. Five centuries later, we find the many similarities with the ways of thinking of Steve Jobs striking. To understand Apple, Jobs is the key focus. And for knowing Jobs, Da Vinci remains the archetypal template.

The common methodology tool for harnessing the way of the masters is C-K theory from the theory of design innovation (théorie de la conception innovante) team of the Scientific Management Center (Centre de Gestion Scientifique, or CGS) at Mines ParisTech in Paris (Prof. A. Hatchuel, B. Weil and P. Le Masson). Our legitimacy in using C-K theory for the purpose of this book is our professional practice as associate practitioner with the CGS.

By associating Leonardo to a way of thinking and C-K theory, we establish a better documented groundwork which may help deepen studies about other masters. One of them is Steve Jobs, whose creative talent can be matched to similar features.

A3.1. Introduction

In this section we illustrate the idea that the synthetic and ...