My Book
Simplicity is Apple’s competitive advantage. It Just Works shows how to make it yours.
From the iPhone in your pocket to the seamless magic of Apple Pay, Apple has built a $3 trillion empire by mastering a simple, fundamental truth: simplicity is the ultimate advantage. It's the magic ingredient in everything Apple makes, the guiding principle behind how they communicate, and the common thread linking all the ways they win.
It Just Works unpacks Apple’s success to reveal the nine rules of simplicity you can apply to your own work, whatever that work happens to be.
Learn how to:
• Make your output more valuable.
• Remove friction from products, processes and decisions.
• Make work simpler for you and your colleagues.
• Communicate persuasively and quickly.
• Stay focused.
• Drive change.
It Just Works gives you a set of simplification methods you can apply immediately – without permission or additional resources – to transform your output and your results.
Published by Pan Macmillan, September 2026.
My Training
Based on the lessons from It Just Works: The Nine Simple Rules of Apple's Success, I run training workshops to help leadership teams simplify how they think, decide and communicate — so they move faster, reduce friction, and create better products. My two most popular workshops:
Keep it Simple!
We all intuitively understand the power of keeping it simple. But it’s easy for complexity to creep into every corner of our working lives. The bad news? Simple doesn’t mean easy. The good news? Apple shows us how to do it. We'll unpack Apple's success to reveal the strategies all participants can use to keep it simple and make a bigger impact. For all teams seeking clarity and focus. More info.
Leading Change That Sticks
Apple has convinced billions of customers to embrace the new. The trick? Making each step so simple change feels welcome and frictionless. For directors, managers, and anyone leading a journey of transformation. More info.
• Sessions are lively, interactive and designed to spark actionable ideas.
• Duration between two hours and a full day.
• Suitable for engaged groups of 8+.
• Get in touch at hello@neilwest.com to learn more and discuss your unique needs.
Previous Clients
My Story
Head of Services, Apple Southern Europe
Six years Ieading App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud,
Apple Books, Apple Podcasts, Apple Arcade, and Fitness+.
A hugely exciting, fast-moving, billion dollar business.
Head of Music, Apple UK & Europe
10 years Ieading Apple's music team as iTunes grew into the world's biggest music shop. Co-founder and curator of the iTunes Festival. Ranked #4 in The Guardian’s Music Power 100.
European Editor-in-Chief, Rhapsody
The world’s first music streaming subscription service.
Creative Director, Garageband.com
Silicon Valley start-up co-founded by Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads)
and Sir George Martin (The Beatles).
Editor-in-Chief, NEXT Generation Magazine
The leading US videogames magazine.