Steve Jobs' Life By Design

1. Embrace curiosity and connect the dots in 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."

Cultivate curiosity. Jobs' wide-ranging interests, from calligraphy to Eastern philosophy, informed his work at Apple and beyond. He encouraged exploration beyond one's immediate field, believing that diverse experiences enrich creativity and innovation.

Trust life's processes. Jobs emphasized that seemingly unrelated experiences often connect in unexpected ways. His study of calligraphy at Reed College, for instance, later influenced the typography in the first Macintosh computer.

• Examples of Jobs' curiosity:
  • Studying calligraphy at Reed College
  • Exploring Eastern philosophy and Buddhism
  • Traveling to India for spiritual enlightenment
  • Interest in Japanese culture and design aesthetics

2. Find and pursue your passion relentlessly

"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."

Discover your calling. Jobs believed that finding work you're passionate about is crucial for success and fulfillment. He encouraged people to explore different paths until they find what truly excites them.

Persist through challenges. Once you've found your passion, Jobs advocated for unwavering dedication. He demonstrated this through his relentless pursuit of excellence at Apple, NeXT, and Pixar, often working long hours and pushing himself and others to achieve seemingly impossible goals.

• Jobs' pursuit of passion:
  • Co-founding Apple in his parents' garage
  • Starting NeXT after leaving Apple
  • Investing in and nurturing Pixar
  • Returning to and revitalizing Apple in 1997

3. Stay hungry for knowledge and foolish enough to dream

"Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish."

Maintain a beginner's mindset. Jobs borrowed this phrase from the final issue of the Whole Earth Catalog, interpreting it as a call to remain curious and open to new ideas. He believed that maintaining a sense of wonder and a willingness to learn were crucial for innovation and personal growth.

Embrace bold visions. The "foolish" part of the quote encourages taking risks and pursuing audacious goals. Jobs exemplified this by consistently pushing the boundaries of technology and design, often pursuing ideas that others dismissed as impractical or impossible.

• Examples of Jobs staying hungry and foolish:
  • Visiting Xerox PARC and envisioning the graphical user interface's potential
  • Insisting on radical simplicity in product design
  • Entering the mobile phone market with the iPhone
  • Pioneering the tablet market with the iPad

4. Simplify and focus on what truly matters

"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."

Eliminate the unnecessary. Jobs was known for his relentless pursuit of simplicity in both product design and business strategy. He believed that true simplicity comes from deep understanding and careful curation.

Focus on core priorities. Upon returning to Apple in 1997, Jobs drastically reduced the company's product line to focus on a few key offerings. This principle of ruthless prioritization became a hallmark of Apple's success.

• Jobs' approach to simplification:
  • Streamlining Apple's product lineup in 1997
  • Insisting on intuitive user interfaces
  • Removing unnecessary buttons and features (e.g., single-button mouse, iPhone's minimal design)
  • Creating the Apple Store's clean, minimalist aesthetic

5. Learn from failures and keep moving forward

"Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith."

Embrace setbacks as opportunities. Jobs faced numerous failures and setbacks throughout his career, including being ousted from Apple in 1985. He viewed these experiences as valuable lessons and opportunities for growth.

Maintain resilience and adaptability. Jobs' ability to bounce back from failures and pivot when necessary was crucial to his success. He consistently reinvented himself and his companies in response to changing circumstances and new opportunities.

• Key failures and comebacks in Jobs' career:
  • Apple Lisa's commercial failure
  • Being forced out of Apple in 1985
  • NeXT computer's limited success
  • Pixar's early financial struggles before Toy Story
  • Triumphant return to Apple in 1997

6. Create insanely great products that delight users

"We're here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise, why else even be here?"

Prioritize user experience. Jobs was obsessed with creating products that were not just functional but delightful to use. He believed that great design and attention to detail could transform ordinary objects into something extraordinary.

Push for excellence. Jobs was notorious for his exacting standards and willingness to delay product launches to get things right. He instilled a culture of excellence at Apple, encouraging his teams to create "insanely great" products that would revolutionize industries.

• Jobs' approach to product development:
  • Emphasis on intuitive interfaces (e.g., graphical user interface, multi-touch)
  • Integration of hardware and software for seamless experiences
  • Attention to aesthetics and industrial design
  • Focus on "magical" product reveals and marketing

7. Live each day as if it were your last

"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose."

Embrace life's finite nature. Jobs' awareness of his own mortality, especially after his cancer diagnosis, shaped his approach to life and work. He encouraged others to use the reality of death as motivation to live fully and pursue what truly matters.

Make bold choices. Understanding life's brevity, Jobs advocated for taking risks and making courageous decisions. He believed that the fear of failure or embarrassment pales in comparison to the regret of not trying.

• How Jobs embodied this philosophy:
  • Dropping out of college to pursue his interests
  • Starting Apple in his parents' garage
  • Returning to Apple despite its near-bankruptcy
  • Continuing to work and innovate even while battling cancer

8. Trust your intuition and follow your heart

"Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become."

Value inner wisdom. Jobs believed strongly in the power of intuition, often making decisions based on gut feelings rather than purely logical analysis. He encouraged others to trust their instincts, especially when facing difficult choices.

Pursue authentic goals. Following your heart, according to Jobs, means pursuing goals and dreams that align with your true self, rather than conforming to others' expectations. This authenticity was a driving force in his career and personal life.

• Examples of Jobs following his intuition:
  • Studying calligraphy despite its apparent lack of practical application
  • Insisting on the importance of design in technology products
  • Developing the iPhone despite Apple's lack of experience in the phone industry
  • Refusing conventional cancer treatments initially in favor of alternative methods

9. Make a positive dent in the universe

"We're here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise, why else even be here?"

Aim for meaningful impact. Jobs believed in the power of individuals and small teams to create significant change. He encouraged people to set ambitious goals that could positively transform industries, societies, and people's lives.

Think beyond profit. While Jobs was undoubtedly driven to create successful businesses, his ultimate motivation was to create products and experiences that would improve people's lives and push humanity forward.

• Ways Jobs aimed to make a positive impact:
  • Democratizing personal computing with user-friendly interfaces
  • Revolutionizing mobile computing with the iPhone and iPad
  • Transforming the music industry with iTunes and the iPod
  • Advancing computer animation through Pixar
  • Reimagining retail experiences with Apple Stores

Last updated: August 10, 2024