“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
STEVE JOBS, CEO + FOUNDER, Apple
We of course never got to sit down with Steve Jobs. He was a hero to many and villain to others. But his life at Apple before he was fired by the Board and then upon his return in 1997 was truly remarkable. His legacy remains today. A lot of start ups and competitors owe a lot to Steve Jobs and Apple.
His death in 2011 was untimely and sad for many reasons. He seemed to be in his prime and really felt he had gotten it right when his health diminished and his life passed. It’s a reminder for us all that we need to make the most of it while we can. Not all of us get to do what Steve did.
Our interview with Steve Jobs
We took our questions and scoured the internet for quotes from Steve that we thought were relevant to what we were asking. We think this is how the interviewed would have gone if we had the chance. We hope you enjoy this discussion.
Starting out
Why did you start your own business?
I became bent on starting a company of my own to build computers for individuals. I convinced Woz to start it with me. We sold some of our prized belongings. I sold my Volkswagen minibus, and Woz, sold his programmable HP calculator to raise $1300 to launch our enterprise. We built our first machines in my family’s garage in 1976.
Tell me about the day when you thought, ‘ok, I’m really doing this’.
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.
I want to put a ding in the universe. The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.
What room did you first work from/in?
Woz and I worked out of my garage. We moved my Mom’s kitchen table into the garage to work on our first machines.
What advice would you give someone who is starting out?
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. Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become.
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.
What were your biggest challenges?
Sometimes life is going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.
I’ve always been attracted to the more revolutionary changes. I don’t know why. Because they’re harder. They’re much more stressful emotionally. And you usually go through a period where everybody tells you that you’ve completely failed.
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.
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.
What were/are your biggest mistakes/regrets?
Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly and get on with improving your other innovations. I’m as proud of many of the things we haven’t done as the things we have done. Innovation is saying no to a thousand things.
Who were/are your mentors? Who did you look up to?
My model for business is The Beatles: They were four guys that kept each others’ negative tendencies in check; they balanced each other. And the total was greater than the sum of the parts.
How do you view leadership?
Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. Technology is nothing. What’s important is that you have a faith in people, that they’re basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they’ll do wonderful things with them.
How do you view quality?
Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles. Be a yardstick of quality.
It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.
Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.
What does success look like?
I’m convinced that about half of what separates successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance. That’s been one of my mantras—focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex; you have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.
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.
What matters most to you in life?
My favorite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life. Life is brief, and then you die, you know? And we’ve all chosen to do this with our lives. So, it better be damn good. It better be worth it.
RIP Steve Jobs 1955-2011
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