Steve Jobs
Episode #10 of the course “History’s greatest entrepreneurs”
American computer businessman of the 20th century Steve Jobs is known for being the co-founder and CEO of Apple, Inc. A developer of the original personal computer, Jobs made products that people wanted in their homes—the first computers with word processing functions, and the first computers to play games. Eventually, Apple would become the top of the line in a number of products that continue to be innovative and driven by a sleek design that Jobs held in the highest regard. All Apple products bear Steve Jobs’ personal stamp of design and creative engineering that continues to push the bounds of technological function.
Born in California in 1955, Steven Paul Jobs grew up in the middle of the developing computer market. Showing great aptitude from a young age, Jobs graduated early from high school and was quickly designing and building computers with his friend Steve Wozniack. Jobs worked at Atari, then took a trip to India that changed his life. In 1976, Wozniak and Jobs sold the first Apple Computer I, which they followed up with the Apple II in 1977. Their personal computing system would allow people to use a computer conveniently in their own home for the first time.
A fully assembled Apple I computer, with a homemade wooden computer case
As Apple exploded, Jobs employed several creative, sometimes radical approaches to running his business. A perfectionist, he delayed product releases until he was absolutely satisfied (to the public’s negative reactions and his investors’ fears). He saw the potential of strategic marketing and was one of the first true entrepreneurs to understand how to create a brand with his products. Jobs always thought about bettering the world of tomorrow, solving problems and designing features that were always ahead of the visions of his competitors.
Quotes
“Your time is limited. Don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”
“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”
“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful … that’s what matters to me.”
“Getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”
“Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles.”
“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: ‘If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.’ It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘no’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”
Recommended book
“Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography” by Walter Isaacson
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