Companies are very much like armies except that they fight over markets instead of territories. Their battlefields are not covered in blood. They’re covered in bankruptcies and financial pain for the losers. And like armies, those who have good generals, good soldiers, good cooks, good weapon makers and good administrators tend to be relatively light.

In contrast, fat cat companies, monopolies such as ATT, government agencies, government administrations, and the companies that rely on their contracts are bloated with workers who don’t give a damn, wasteful, spending 3/4 of their time in internal power struggles. They call that work.

Julius Cesar conquered Gaul in about 10 years with a handful of legions. He had no help from Rome as the Roman politicians wanted him dead. He had no computers or MBAs or a barrage of Vice Presidents. Everyone in his legions was an expert at his job.

That’s Apple. Any company that wants to beat Apple had better lighten up on talkers and people who don’t give a damn. And better load up on people who are good at what they do and don’t mind working for a living.