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Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple and visionary entrepreneur, shares insights on how to make the most of our fleeting time, his admiration for exceptional ideas, the power of setting high standards, and his journey of creating something wonderful. The podcast explores Steve's early life, his passion for great products, and his determination to build new companies. It also delves into the importance of intuition, creativity, and understanding the personal struggles behind successful individuals.
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Quick takeaways
- Perseverance and the willingness to make mistakes are crucial for building something great.
- Learning from the accomplishments and failures of past innovators is essential for creating successful products and companies.
- Next and Pixar faced challenges and setbacks, but through perseverance and refining their vision, both companies became success stories.
- Character is built in times of adversity, and having generous mentors can provide valuable lessons in resilience.
- Seeking guidance and learning from experienced entrepreneurs is crucial for personal growth and success in the industry.
Deep dives
The Importance of Persistence and Making Mistakes
Steve Jobs emphasized the value of perseverance and the willingness to make mistakes in order to build something great. He believed that making something wonderful didn't require more energy or money, but rather a little more time and a commitment to excellence.
The Power of Historical Perspective
Steve Jobs often placed his work in a historical context, drawing inspiration from the achievements of past innovators. He believed that learning from the accomplishments and failures of others was crucial to creating successful products and companies.
The Journey of Next and Pixar
After leaving Apple, Steve Jobs faced challenges and setbacks with his new ventures, Next and Pixar. However, through perseverance and refining his vision, both companies ultimately became success stories. Next focused on software, while Pixar pioneered computer-animated films.
Character Building in Times of Adversity
Steve Jobs spoke about the importance of character development during difficult times. He shared a personal anecdote about a mentor who had shown him generosity and taught him valuable lessons about generosity and resilience. Jobs emphasized that character is built not in good times, but in times of adversity.
The Importance of Mentors and Learning from Experienced Entrepreneurs
Steve Jobs reflects on the significance of having mentors like Bob Noyce, Andy Grove, and Jerry Sanders. He highlights the importance of seeking guidance and learning from experienced entrepreneurs. Steve emphasizes how fortunate he was to establish relationships with these industry veterans and how their mentorship played a crucial role in his own growth and success.
The Evolution of Apple's Product Strategy
Steve discusses the evolution of Apple's product strategy. He explains the company's focus on simplicity, exceptional design, and ease of use. Steve reflects on the need to continuously innovate and create products that meet the needs of consumers. He highlights how Apple's product line consolidated and refined to deliver high-quality offerings that have a significant impact on the consumer market.
The Power of Optimism and Passion
Steve emphasizes the significance of optimism and passion when pursuing ambitious goals. He acknowledges the challenges and hardships that come with entrepreneurship but stresses the importance of caring deeply about one's work. Steve believes that optimism and passion are essential for enduring the difficulties and making a lasting impact in an industry.
The Value of Seeking Help
Steve discusses the value of seeking help and advice from others. He recounts how he reached out to industry veterans for guidance and mentorship. Steve underscores the importance of humble inquiry and the eagerness to learn from seasoned entrepreneurs. He believes that asking for help is a superpower that many people overlook, and he encourages others to take advantage of the vast knowledge and experiences of those who came before them.
The Importance of Connection and Humanity
Steve Jobs emphasizes the importance of connection and humanity in various aspects of life and business. He believes that there is a human drama underneath everything, including successful biographies. Jobs highlights the need to understand the past to make sense of the present. He also discusses how a focus on people, finding quality individuals who are passionate about their work, is crucial for building successful companies.
Following Your Heart and Intuition
Jobs encourages following one's heart and intuition when making important decisions. He shares personal anecdotes, like dropping out of college and taking a calligraphy class, to emphasize the importance of curiosity and pursuing what one is passionate about. Jobs believes that in order to do great work, it is essential to love what you do and to not be trapped by others' opinions or societal expectations. Ultimately, he advocates for living a life true to oneself and finding work and relationships that bring fulfillment.
What I learned from reading Make Something Wonderful: Steve Jobs in his own words.
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(3:48) He gave an extraordinary amount of thought to how best to use our fleeting time.
(4:24) He imagined what reality lacked and set out to remedy it.
(7:27) Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview Video and My Notes.
(10:02) Edwin Land episodes:
Instant: The Story of Polaroid by Christopher Bonanos. (Founders #264)
Land's Polaroid: A Company and the Man Who Invented It by Peter C. Wensberg (Founders #263)
A Triumph of Genius: Edwin Land, Polaroid, and the Kodak Patent War by Ronald Fierstein (Founders #134)
Land's Polaroid: A Company and the Man Who Invented It by Peter C. Wensberg (Founders #133)
The Instant Image: Edwin Land and the Polaroid Experienceby Mark Olshaker (Founders #132)
Insisting On The Impossible: The Life of Edwin Land and Instant: The Story of Polaroid(Founders #40)
(13:23) Think of your life as a rainbow arcing across the horizon of this world. You appear, have a chance to blaze in the sky, then you disappear.
(14:10) One from Many: VISA and the Rise of Chaordic Organization by Dee Hock. (Founders #260)
(15:42) Read Jeff Bezos's shareholder letters in book form: Invent and Wander: The Collected Writings of Jeff Bezos or for free online: Amazon Investor Relations(Founders #282)
(19:45) If you want to understand the entrepreneur, study the juvenile delinquent. — Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Chouinard. (Founders #297)
(30:47) How important product is based on how much time you spend with it: People are going to be spending two, three hours a day interacting with these machines—longer than they spend in the car.
(39:02) Return to the Little Kingdom: Steve Jobs and the Creation of Appleby Michael Moritz. (Founders #76)
(40:32) The real big thing is: if you’re going to make something, it doesn’t take any more energy—and rarely does it take more money—to make it really great. All it takes is a little more time. And a willingness to do so, a willingness to persevere until it’s really great.
(45:07) Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull
(45:31) Steve’s enthusiasm kept him writing check after check to Pixar, ultimately investing some $60 million.
(47:47) It is better to have fewer people even if it means doing less. Let's build our company slowly and carefully.
(53:36) I’m not so dominant that I can’t listen to creative ideas coming from other people. Successful people listen. Those who don’t listen, don’t survive long. — Driven From Within by Michael Jordan (Founders #213)
(54:40) You never achieve what you want without falling on your face a few times in the process of getting there.
(1:00:11) There wasn’t a hierarchy of ideas that mapped onto the hierarchy of the organization.
(1:03:33) Don’t be a career. The enemy of most dreams and intuitions, and one of the most dangerous and stifling concepts ever invented by humans, is the “Career.” A career is a concept for how one is supposed to progress through stages during the training for and practicing of your working life. There are some big problems here. First and foremost is the notion that your work is different and separate from the rest of your life. If you are passionate about your life and your work, this can’t be so. They will become more or less one. This is a much better way to live one’s life.
(1:05:11) Make your avocation your vocation. Make what you love your work.
(1:05:58) Think of your life as a rainbow arcing across the horizon of this world. You appear, have a chance to blaze in the sky, then you disappear.
(1:09:27) In the Company of Giants: Candid Conversations With the Visionaries of the Digital World by Rama Dev Jager and Rafael Ortiz. (Founders #208)
(1:10:52) Much of it is also drive and passion—hard work makes up for a lot.
(1:13:28) A risk-taking creative environment on the product side required a fiscally conservative environment on the business side.
(1:13:57) You've got to choose what you put your love into really carefully.
(1:14:38) A remarkably consistent set of values that Steve held dear: Life is short; don’t waste it. Tell the truth. Technology should enhance human creativity. Process matters. Beauty matters. Details matter. The world we know is a human creation—and we can push it forward.
(1:19:24) Steve Jobs speaking to Apple employees (Video)
(1:29:48) Apple is the world’s premier bridge builder between mere mortals and the exploding world of high technology.
(1:30:14) Steve’s favorite quote: We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. – Aristotle
(1:32:29) The Man Behind the Microchip: Robert Noyce and the Invention of Silicon Valley by Leslie Berlin. (Founders #166)
(1:42:27) That’s been the most important lesson I’ve learned in business: that the dynamic range of people dramatically exceeds things you encounter in the rest of our normal lives—and to try to find those really great people who really love what they do.
(1:43:00) Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple's Greatest Productsby Leander Kahney. (Founders #178)
(1:47:27) It’s a circus world, and you never know what’s around the next corner.
(1:53:40) Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography by Laurie Woolever. (Founders #219)
(2:01:00) All glory is fleeting.
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