Chapter 99 - Steve Jobs: The Journey is the Reward
Today’s Chapter is based on the book “Steve Jobs: The Journey Is the Reward” by Jeffrey S. Young.
Steve Jobs was an American entrepreneur and inventor, best known as the co-founder of Apple Inc. He played a pivotal role in revolutionizing personal computing with products like the Apple I, Macintosh, iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Additionally, he founded NeXT and was a key figure at Pixar Animation Studios, significantly impacting both the technology and entertainment industries.
Previously on Steve Jobs:
Here’s what I learned:
Power to the People
“Invention is the coming up with a prototype of a new device or a new social practice innovation. Innovation is the business of turning a new device into something practical, affordable and reliable that people will want to use and acquire.”
— Matt Ridley
In a podcast interview with Naval Ravikant, Matt Ridley once defined innovation as “the process of driving down the price; it’s the process of driving up the reliability and the efficiency of the device; and it’s the process of persuading other people to adopt it, too.” He elaborates by saying that Thomas Edison is the perfect example of an innovator. As a matter of fact, while he didn’t necessarily come up with his own original ideas, he turned them into practical propositions.
As we have previously learned, Thomas Edison was determined to devote his inventive faculties only to things for which there was a real and genuine demand. Edison’s most notable invention, the incandescent light bulb, exemplifies his innovation approach. Rather than simply creating a light source, he focused on developing a practical, long-lasting solution that could be used in homes and businesses.
As a matter of fact, Edison was not the first one to tackle the challenge of inventing an electric lamp. However, he believed that others before him failed because they had been following the wrong track. He recognised that previous experiments with electric lamps had failed due to their impracticality. Edison believed that electric lighting could only become a success only if it can be sold to the public at a reasonable price. This insight led him to form the Edison Electric Light Company in New York in 1878, backed by famous financiers like J.P. Morgan and the Vanderbilt family, with the sole purpose of making electric lighting as accessible as possible by developing a complete system for distributing electric light.
"We will make electricity so cheap that only the rich will burn candles."
— Thomas Edison
Similarly, Steve Jobs had this vision of making technology accessible to everyone. In fact, his entrepreneurial vision was fueled by a deep desire to bring personal computing to the masses. From an early age, he recognized that computers, which at the time were large, expensive, and inaccessible to the average person, could be transformed into something far more personal and affordable. Jobs often saw himself as a revolutionary, someone who could disrupt the status quo and make technology more democratic. His vision was encapsulated in a simple yet profound idea: one person, one computer.
"Basically, Steve Wozniak and I invented the Apple because we wanted a personal computer. Not only couldn't we afford the computers that were on the market, those computers were impractical for us to use. We needed a Volkswagen.”
— Steve Jobs
This quote from Steve Jobs illustrated his desire to make technology accessible and practical for ordinary people. As he once explained, "The Volkswagen isn't as fast or comfortable as other ways of travelling, but the VW owners can go where they want, when they want, and with whom they want."
Furthermore, Job’s entrepreneurial vision was not just about making money. He was deeply committed to the idea that computing could change lives. He saw technology as a tool for empowerment, a way to give individuals control over their own productivity. Jobs' vision was always ahead of its time. He was not interested in merely following trends; he wanted to create them. His ability to foresee the potential of personal computing was what set him apart from others in the industry. He understood that computers could be more than just machines for engineers and hobbyists—they could be tools for artists, educators, and everyday people.
The drive to innovate was deeply embedded in Jobs' personality. He was constantly looking for ways to push boundaries and create products that were not only functional but also revolutionary. This relentless pursuit of innovation was what led to the creation of groundbreaking products like the Apple I, Apple II, and Macintosh. He also understood the importance of software in realizing the full potential of personal computing. His decision to include the programming language BASIC in the Apple II, for example, was a game-changer. It made the computer more accessible to non-technical users and opened up new possibilities for creativity and productivity.
As such, Jobs's innovation was not just about creating products; it was about reshaping how people interacted with technology. His insistence on combining aesthetics with functionality led to products that were not only powerful but also beautiful.
Simplicity
“Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful.”
— John Maeda
Steve Jobs' obsession with design and aesthetics played a central role in shaping Apple's products. From the very beginning, he understood that technology was not just about functionality—it was also about how it looked and felt. Jobs believed that great design could make technology more accessible, more intuitive, and more enjoyable to use.
Jobs' attention to design extended to every aspect of Apple's products, from the layout of the circuit boards to the colour of the cases. He believed that even the internal components of a computer should be beautiful, a philosophy that was unheard of in the engineering—driven world of technology. This commitment to design was not just about aesthetics—it was about creating products that people would love to use. Jobs believed that technology should be approachable and that great design could make even the most complex machines feel simple and intuitive.
As a matter of fact, ironically, for Steve Jobs, the best designs weren’t those that looked aesthetically pleasant, but those that were functional and easy to use. And as such, it was important to make them simple and elegant. Here’s what he had to say about design:
“Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works. The design of the Mac wasn’t what it looked like, although that was part of it. Primarily, it was how it worked. To design something really well, you have to get it. You have to really grok what it’s all about. It takes a passionate commitment to really thoroughly understand something, chew it up, not just quickly swallow it. Most people don’t take the time to do that.
Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people.
Unfortunately, that’s too rare a commodity. A lot of people in our industry haven’t had very diverse experiences. So they don’t have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have.”
— Steve Jobs
This pursuit of simplicity and elegance became a hallmark of Apple's design language, from the original Apple I to the sleek, minimalist products that would follow, such as the iMac, the iPhone, and the MacBook. Jobs' commitment to design was not just about making products that looked good—it was about creating a seamless, delightful user experience.
Furthermore, in Steve Jobs’ mind, art and technology went hand to hand. For him, computers weren’t only products, they were a work of art. This fusion of art and technology is a defining characteristic of Apple products, setting them apart from the competition. In his book, Jeffrey Young mentions that "For what characterises Apple is that its scientific staff always acted and performed like artists. In a field filled with dry personalities limited by the rational and binary worlds they inhabit, Apple's engineering teams had passion."
“He became utterly convinced that the Apple II should be silent—without a fan. It grew from his meditation interests, because the noisy fans that all the other computers had were intrusive and distracted from the pure elegance of the machine. He also had an intuition that consumers would be more enticed to buy a noiseless computer.”
— Jeffrey S. Young
This concept of using art into developing technology products reminds me of how Edwin Land, the founder of Polaroid once said, “Industry is best at the intersection of science and art.” Similarly, Steve Jobs’ approach to designing his Apple products reminds me of how James Dyson approached design. Dyson, the inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner believed that design should not only be visually attractive but also functional and practical. Dyson's approach is fundamentally minimalist, focusing on simplicity and eliminating superfluous components to develop products that are both aesthetically pleasing and highly efficient.
Fanatical Leadership
"If you pursue any career with enough fanaticism, that's very likely to work better than not having the fanaticism.”
— Charlie Munger
Steve Jobs was known for his intense and often abrasive leadership style. He demanded nothing short of perfection from his employees and was notorious for setting seemingly impossible goals. However, this approach while controversial, often brought out the best in people. Jobs had a unique ability to push his team beyond their limits, inspiring them to achieve what they thought was unattainable.
In fact, Jeffrey S. Young explains that "Steve's way of testing the mettle of his employees was to make unreasonable, and basically impossible, demands. His style produced one of two reactions: The recipient either quit, refusing to do the impossible, or did it, proving that he or she could do the impossible." As such, it is clear that Jobs’ **leadership style was not for everyone. Many found it difficult to work under such intense pressure, and some left the company as a result. However, for those who stayed, Jobs' demands often led to extraordinary accomplishments. His ability to challenge people to do the impossible was a key factor in Apple's success.
Despite his demanding nature, Jobs was also a master at recognizing talent and surrounding himself with exceptional people. He had an almost uncanny ability to locate and convince talented individuals into joining his team, often convincing them to take on roles they might otherwise have avoided. As we have seen previously, Steve Jobs was well known for working with only A-Players.
“So I’ve built a lot of my success on finding these truly gifted people, and not settling for “B” and “C” players, but really going for the “A” players. And I found something… I found that when you get enough “A” players together, when you go through the incredible work to find these “A” players, they really like working with each other. Because most have never had the chance to do that before. And they don’t work with “B” and “C” players, so it’s self-policing. They only want to hire “A” players. So you build these pockets of “A” players and it just propagates.”
— Steve Jobs
Furthermore, one of Steve Jobs’ biggest quality as a leader is his ability to connect with people who had the skills he lacked. As a matter of fact, when Jobs first started Apple, it was his partner Steve Wozniak, often referred to as the technical genius behind Apple, who was responsible for designing the hardware that made the company famous. Jobs, on the other hand, took care of the business aspects, from securing funding to negotiating deals. Together, they formed a partnership that would change the world.
Jobs' ability to recognize Wozniak's genius and harness it for the company's benefit was one of his greatest strengths. He understood that Wozniak's designs were not just technically impressive—they were revolutionary. This realization helped Jobs see the potential for turning Wozniak's creations into profitable products.
Similarly to his collaboration with Wozniak, Jobs believed that the best products were created when hardware and software teams worked closely together. This was a departure from the traditional approach, where hardware was developed first, and software was an afterthought. Jobs insisted that the two disciplines should grow hand in hand, ensuring that the final product was seamless and intuitive to use.
This concept of leading fanatically reminds me of the concept of “hardcore” we have learned from Elon Musk. As a matter of fact, one of Musk’s main quality is his hardcore focus, an ability that allowed him to weed out the noise and to focus on his task at hand. Musk mentions that “Ever since I was a kid, if I start to think about something hard, then all of my sensory systems turn off. I can’t see or hear or anything. I’m using my brain to compute, not for incoming information.”
This attitude of hardcore focus on the task at hand became the working culture at all companies that Musk was leading, from Zip2 to Tesla. As a matter of fact, one of Musks’s favorite management tactic was to set an insane deadline in order to drive his colleagues to work fanatically. Musk believed that this fake sense of urgency was good as it encouraged his engineers to engage in first-principles thinking.
“A maniacal sense of urgency is our operating principle.”
— Elon Musk
A perfect example of Elon Musk’s maniacal sense of urgency came during the time he wanted to ramp up the production line of Model S. He wrote an email to his employees at Tesla titled “Ultra hardcore” and it read, “Please prepare yourself for a level of intensity that is greater than anything most of you have experienced before. Revolutionizing industries is not for the faint of heart.” Musk explains that he is a “big believer that a small number of exceptional people who are highly motivated can do better than a large number of people who are pretty good and moderately motivated.”
Beyond the Book
Read "Matt Ridley: How Innovation Works, Part 1" with Naval Ravikant
Read "Steve Jobs on Design" by Farnam Street
Read "The Importance of Working With “A” Players" by Farnam Street
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