When Jobs died in 2011, I was 17 years old, and, admittedly, at that time I didn’t know a great deal about him, other than he was the CEO of Apple. After the news of his death, the resulting deluge of books and movies attempting to chronicle his life and career was unavoidable - it seemed this was a classic case of someone not being properly appreciated until they’re gone.
I, like many, curious about all the fuss, took to Walter Isaacson’s book Steve Jobs - seemingly the most comprehensive and well received dissection of his life. It was an eye-opening read of a very complicated man who was unrelenting in achieving his vision, yet often unsympathetic to those around him.
In hindsight, for all his brilliance and all his shortcomings as a leader, the thing that stands out to me about Jobs’ success is how he himself was the product of his circumstances. Born at a time when technology was rapidly evolving and raised in what was soon to be known as Silicon Valley, he was fortunate enough to be surrounded by incredible engineering talent, those who could execute on his demanding vision. If it wasn’t for these factors, of which he could not choose or control, it’s unlikely that the Apple we know today would exist - what Jobs could control was his ability to capitalise on the hand life dealt him.
I suppose what I take away from this is that irrespective of your grit, determination or talents, there is always a degree of luck in being successful - the real skill is knowing when to act with what you have.
What do you enjoy about the story of Steve Jobs? And, knowing the state of tech and the world in 2022, what circumstances do you think Nothing, and Carl, should capitalise on to drive success?
