AI, Apple and How to Build a Brand
The Art of The Impossible
Welcome to The Art of The Impossible, the weekly newsletter where I unearth five pieces of content which I hope will both inspire and embolden you.
When I was in the depths of working in startups, I always wished I could find some respite and inspiration on my weekends, and this newsletter is the thing I wish existed so I do hope you enjoy it.
PODCAST
A Life in Seven Songs Featuring Walter Isaacson
This week, I discovered the Life in Seven Songs podcast hosted by Sophie Bearman which I am really enjoying - it’s obviously very similar in format to Desert Island Discs but the interviewee will often comment on the actual piece of music as it plays which adds another level of storytelling.
You can listen/watch the live episode with biographer Walter Isaacson here and listen to the episode with OpenAI’s Sam Altman here.
Also, Anna Anderson of Kindred has just started a great new podcast on community - listen to episode 1 The Evolution of Community: From Feudal Villages to Modern Connections here.
QUOTE
Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today.
Robert McKee
I wrote a piece a few years ago entitled The Art of Storytelling - And why founders should write more - where I discuss why I think founders should write online and tell their stories for a multitude of reasons including selling their product, owning their narrative and escaping competition through authenticity.
I think it’s evergreen and its message is as important today as it was back then - you can read it for free here.
INTERVIEW
Dr Margaret Boden: The rise of artificial intelligence | 2097: We Made Ourselves Over
I recently mentioned how the great Maggie Boden had sadly passed and now, as I go down the rabbit hole of past interviews, I found this one from 2018 where experts were asked to imagine life in 2097 and how to solve some of the biggest challenges we may face in the future
Margaret Boden was Research Professor of Cognitive Science at the Department of Informatics at The University of Sussex, where in the 1960s she worked to develop the world's first academic programme in cognitive science. Taking an unusual route to the study of AI, Boden began by studying medical sciences, later Philosophy and Psychology. Her uniquely interdisciplinary background is what makes her work so important. She is not a technologist, but her interest and authority on AI comes from understanding the impact and relationship of AI to people.
2097: We Made Ourselves Over is the culmination of a year-long project inviting residents and future experts from Aarhus, Hull and beyond to describe their hopes for the coming century.
You can watch the short interview with her here. And a longer talk she did from 10 years ago here. But I urge you to go down your own rabbit hole with her and find previous talks, interviews and papers - she is a fascinating woman whom I wish I had known better whilst she was alive.
BOOK
Apple: The First 50 Years by David Pogue
I can’t wait for this book!
In time for Apple's 50th anniversary next year, CBS Sunday Morning correspondent and author David Pogue will tell the story of the iconic company's entire life journey - from how Apple was born, how it nearly died, was born again under Steve Jobs, and how it became the most valuable company in the world.
The book features full-color photos, new facts that correct the record and illuminate its subversive culture, and fresh interviews with the legendary figures who shaped Apple into what it is today.
On April 1, 1976, two scruffy twentysomethings, both named Steve, founded a startup. Their goal: To bring the revolutionary power of computers to everyone.
Over the next five decades, Apple has reshaped technology and cultural landscapes, introducing the public to breakthroughs like the mouse, laser printing, CD-ROM, WiFi, digital video, home networking, touchscreen phones, and tablets. Jobs' obsessive eye for detail set the stage for legendary products including the Mac, iMac, iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad, AirPods, Apple Watch - all of which married advanced technology with beauty, simplicity, and iconic design.
Deeply researched and beautifully illustrated, Apple: The First 50 Years includes new interviews with 150 key people who were a part of Apple’s journey including Steve Wozniak, John Sculley, Jony Ive, as well as many current designers, engineers, and executives. The book busts long-held myths; goes backstage for both the colossal successes (450 million iPods, 700 million iPads, 2.2 billion iPhones) and the instructive “failures” (Lisa, Apple III, MobileMe); and assesses the forces that challenge Apple's dominance as it enters its second half century.
Bursting with tales of frenetic all-nighters, engineering genius, and creative rebellion, this book is a true testament to Apple's unique and innovative vision, and a must-read for anyone whose life Apple has touched.
Pre-order the book here. Out 17th March 2026.
You can also listen to some episodes I have done with key Apple employees/friends of Steve here:
John Couch on Life at Apple and The Steve Jobs He Knew
Andy Hertzfeld on the Macintosh, Steve Jobs and General Magic
Mike Slade: Remembering Steve Jobs
James Vincent: My Time With Steve Jobs
Doug Menuez: Documenting Steve Jobs & The Digital Revolution
WATCH
Building a Brand – Redesigning a Business From Start to Finish
I know a lot of you who read the newsletter are founders so I thought you would like this beautifully made video I found on how to build a brand.
Matthew Encina - Chief Design Officer at Mode Designs (creators of beautiful mechanical keyboards and more) talks us through the entire brand design process from start to finish, following the Double Diamond framework: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver.
A fascinating watch here.
Thank you so much, as always, for reading the newsletter and for listening to the podcast.
If you enjoy them, please do feel free to like and share - my goal is for these stories to inspire and embolden as many as possible.
Until next time, I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Danielle
PS If you would like to join the likes of Notion, Vanta and Boardy AI by sponsoring the newsletter, you can do so here.
