Ken Kocienda

Special guest Ken Kocienda, author of Creative Selection, joins the show to talk about his years at Apple and the creation of the original iPhone. Sponsored by: Remote: Global HR Solutions for distributed teams. Retool: Build internal tools 10× faster. Squarespace: Make your next move. Use code talkshow for 10% off your first order. Links: Up Spell — Ken’s iOS word game. “Wallaby” iPhone prototype hardware. Steve Jobs’s quote on the wall outside Town Hall at Infinite Loop: “If you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on for it too long. Just figure out what’s next.” Kim Scott’s books: Radical Candor and Just Work. DF’s 15-year anniversary post, with word counts. Stephen King’s On Writing. Andy Hertzfeld’s history of the original Mac: Folklore.org Revolution in the Valley Humane — The totally secret startup where Ken is now working. Job openings at Humane. This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.

Ken Kocienda, a former Apple software engineer and designer, shares his journey from photographer to tech innovator. He discusses the challenges and successes of creating core products like Safari and the iPhone. Kocienda reveals behind-the-scenes insights into the pressure of product demos for Steve Jobs, the culture of secrecy at Apple, and the innovative design choices, including the revolutionary keyboard features. With anecdotes about teamwork and experimentation, he sheds light on the creative processes that shaped Apple's user-centric philosophy.

Ken Kocienda, former Principal Engineer at Apple and co-founder of Infactory AI, shares insights from his remarkable journey creating the iPhone keyboard and autocorrect. He discusses the importance of bridging liberal arts and tech to develop intuitive products. Ken reveals his disciplined, spec-driven coding approach and how lessons learned from Steve Jobs inspire his work in AI. He argues that the best technology makes technical literacy unnecessary, paving the way for a more accessible digital future.