Back

Steve Jobs - Habits and Principles

by Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs was an American entrepreneur and business magnate. He was the chairman, chief executive officer (CEO), and co-founder of Apple Inc.; the chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar; a member of The Walt Disney Company's board of directors, following its acquisition of Pixar; as well as, the founder, chairman, and CEO of NeXT. Jobs is widely recognized as a pioneer of the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, along with his Apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak.

Summary Notes

Business Lessons

“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.”

Steve Jobs was an exceptional visionary who could design completely new, innovative products. These products were so revolutionary that people often had no idea they wanted them until they saw them.

Actions to take

Be the person who consistently creates value.

Purpose (work)

Be obsessed with every detail.

Project Management

Set goals often.

Life philosophy

In order to be a great entrepreneur, build trust with your customers.

Focus

Treat all failures as important lessons.

Growth

Seek simplicity during product design.

Organization

Become a great keynote speaker.

Public speaking

Delegate responsibilities and accountability.

Team management

Philosophy Lessons

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”

When Steve Jobs was young, he went to India for a few months. This shaped his future. He adopted a new life philosophy.

Actions to take

Be true to yourself.

Life philosophy

Find and do what you love.

Mindfulness

Become vegan.

Diet

Learn about and implement Zen practices in your life; try yoga.

Mindfulness

Productivity Lessons

“You cannot mandate productivity, you must provide the tools to let people become their best.”

Steve Jobs loved what he was doing. When you love what you are doing, you work really hard and optimize your time efficiently in order to accomplish what you’ve planned.