I followed Steve Jobs’ career since he and Steve Wozniak founded Apple in 1976. I owned an Apple II computer back then and I own an iPhone 4 today.
Steve Jobs was not the world’s greatest designer but there are some things he did better than anyone. Here are six lessons I learned by watching and following him for over three decades.
Keep It Simple.
The beauty of many Apple products lies in their simplicity. They don’t try to be all things to all people. They do what they do — well.
Don’t Accept Good Enough; Be Great.
Steve Jobs was known for being demanding. We often stop when we get to “good enough”. That leads to mediocrity. Try to be great — not perfect — just great.
Be Consistent and Reliable.
Apple follows reliable product release cycles and offers consistent user experiences. Everyone should.
Create a Vision not Just a Process.
Apple has a clear vision for the future of mobile devices. If we expect those around us to follow, they need to know where we’re going.
Learn to Say No.
Most of us try to be nice and say “yes”, whenever possible. Not Steve Jobs. When ideas or requests are incongruous, just say no.
Envision the Whole, not Just the Pieces.
Apple focuses on the complete user experience– hardware, software and services. The parts reinforce the whole.
Sadly, the lessons are over. Steven P. Jobs (1955 – 2011).