Steve Jobs on a Disease

In the corridors of Silicon Valley legend, few names evoke as much reverence and fascination as Steve Jobs, the visionary co-founder of Apple Inc. Known not just for his revolutionary products but also for his profound insights into the essence of innovation, Jobs left an enduring legacy that continues to shape the tech landscape today.

Reflecting on his journey, Jobs offered a candid assessment of the pitfalls that beset even the most respected companies. He pointed to a disease, one that afflicted Apple after he left:

Steve Jobs, co-founder, Apple

Image credit: binge

“One of the things that really hurt Apple was, after I left, John Sculley got a very serious disease. And that disease—I’ve seen other people get it too—is the disease of thinking that a really great idea is 90% of the work.”

But Jobs debunked this notion, revealing the truth about innovation: a product idea evolves through the process of building it. There are lessons learned, tradeoffs made, and details refined along the way.

"There are certain things you can't make plastic do or glass do. Or factories do or robots do. And as you get into all these things, designing a product is keeping 5,000 things in your brain, these concepts, and fitting them all together and continuing to push to fit them together in new and different ways to get what you want."

In essence, Jobs revealed the secret to Apple's success: a combination of visionary ideas, meticulous craftsmanship, and collaborative spirit. It's not just about the initial spark, but the journey of transformation from idea to reality.

"And every day, you discover something new that is a new problem or a new opportunity to fit these things together a little differently. And it's that process that is the magic."

Listen from the man himself: