5 ms·

That's what set Steve Jobs apart. Your typical executive could take months between rejecting your idea and proposing it as their own. But Jobs could compress th

That's what set Steve Jobs apart. Your typical executive could take months between rejecting your idea and proposing it as their own. But Jobs could compress this down to a week.

oblio 6y ago
I'm amazed how absolutely every character flaw Jobs had gets turned into a positive. If I had a nickel for how many times I've seen this happen on the internet, I'd be rich.
- olivermarks 6y ago
  I also don't think clever monopolistic businessman Gates would ever be 'hoodwinked'
- avalys 6y ago
  That's because "character flaws" on a personal level are often required to achieve exceptional results. Not sufficient. But often required. If Jobs were a quiet, contemplative, respectful person who was careful to keep track of where he heard what idea and assign credit where credit was due - it's unlikely we'd have Apple. That's just a different personality type.
  - watwut 6y ago
    Why putting character flaws into quotes? They are still character flaws, the same way as same behavior is if it is not coming from rich powergul person. There is no reason to pretend it is something special. If they helped him to get more money and more credit and what not, that does not make them not flaws.
    - fenderbluesjr 6y ago
      Calling them flaws would seem to me to be a subjective position. Personality traits are perceived differently depending on what the observer is sensitive to. Somebody that is considered rude in a yoga clinic might not be perceived the same way on a construction site.
      - paulryanrogers 6y ago
        Is there any culture in which claiming credit for the ideas and innovations of others is considered positive? And how many would agree it's healthy?
    - kortilla 6y ago
      They aren’t “flaws” to everyone. One person’s asshole is another person’s straight shooter.
      - watwut 6y ago
        Which part do you perceive as "straight shooter"?
  - gavanwilhite 6y ago
    I believe this is the wrong way to think about this. Character flaws are often associated with certain effective traits, but are not chained to them. In your example, one can be vocal, biased-twoards-action, and low-bullshit, while also giving credit where credit is due. I think it’s far from obvious that Jobs would have been a less effective leader if he had addressed his character shortcomings. I similarly feel the same way about current leaders like Musk. He could do some inner work, become far less of a jerk, and be equally or more effective.
    - oblio 6y ago
      The sad thing is, they don't need that personal growth. Their luck or other character traits made/make them successful, they're rich and quite powerful, attractive to women, etc. So they'll never do what you're saying. For an extreme example, look at Trump. In Romanian we have a saying: "the only thing that will straighten a hunchback's back is the coffin".
      - ArloL 6y ago
        This has been on my mind a lot lately. IMHO personal growth of the founders/leaders is correlated with long-term success. A healthy organization should be able to adapt to changes in the market. The same is true for a healthy individual. And more importantly as leader(s) of an organization - because you must lead by example. E.g. if you have a healthy way to keep your ego in check or be aware of your flaws you will be able to notice issues in organizational structures; if you're willing to change when presented with new information so will the organization; if you micromanage everything you've fixed the speed of adaptation to your own - can be good - can be bad; if you need validation you will surround yourself with people that validate you no matter what; if you twist your reality so that you're always on top those lies will seep into the culture. It's kind of like Conway's law but more like organizations design structures (communication, hierarchies, etc.) which mirror their leaders identity/character/personality/soul...
      - vagrantJin 6y ago
        > "the only thing that will straighten a hunchback's back is the coffin". Thats so cold. Do Romanians generally call a spade, a spade?
  - refurb 6y ago
    No. That’s just coverage bias. The leaders who are successful but aren’t dicks don’t have a ton of stories about them in the media about being brilliant dicks.
- dmitriid 6y ago
  Winners get forgiven for a lot if stuff.
- watwut 6y ago
  I read it ironically. I mean, if there are months in between, it makes plausible deniality that you forgot you got idea from someone else. Week makes you more of asshole.
- refurb 6y ago
  That’s the genius of Jobs. You get a woman pregnant then deny the child is yours. Afterwards you acknowledge your error and have a great relationship with the kid and name a product after them. That’s true genius.
visarga 6y ago
... /s ?
thinkingemote 6y ago
I recently learnt that Jobs would ask people in the elevator what they were working on and fire people then and there if he didnt like it. Now I hear that the next week he would take these ideas as his own. Ruthless.

That's what set Steve Jobs apart. Your typical executive could take months between rejecting your idea and proposing it as their own. But Jobs could compress this down to a week.

oblio 6y ago

I'm amazed how absolutely every character flaw Jobs had gets turned into a positive. If I had a nickel for how many times I've seen this happen on the internet, I'd be rich.

olivermarks 6y ago
I also don't think clever monopolistic businessman Gates would ever be 'hoodwinked'
avalys 6y ago
That's because "character flaws" on a personal level are often required to achieve exceptional results. Not sufficient. But often required. If Jobs were a quiet, contemplative, respectful person who was careful to keep track of where he heard what idea and assign credit where credit was due - it's unlikely we'd have Apple. That's just a different personality type.
- watwut 6y ago
  Why putting character flaws into quotes? They are still character flaws, the same way as same behavior is if it is not coming from rich powergul person. There is no reason to pretend it is something special. If they helped him to get more money and more credit and what not, that does not make them not flaws.
  - fenderbluesjr 6y ago
    Calling them flaws would seem to me to be a subjective position. Personality traits are perceived differently depending on what the observer is sensitive to. Somebody that is considered rude in a yoga clinic might not be perceived the same way on a construction site.
    - paulryanrogers 6y ago
      Is there any culture in which claiming credit for the ideas and innovations of others is considered positive? And how many would agree it's healthy?
  - kortilla 6y ago
    They aren’t “flaws” to everyone. One person’s asshole is another person’s straight shooter.
    - watwut 6y ago
      Which part do you perceive as "straight shooter"?
- gavanwilhite 6y ago
  I believe this is the wrong way to think about this. Character flaws are often associated with certain effective traits, but are not chained to them. In your example, one can be vocal, biased-twoards-action, and low-bullshit, while also giving credit where credit is due. I think it’s far from obvious that Jobs would have been a less effective leader if he had addressed his character shortcomings. I similarly feel the same way about current leaders like Musk. He could do some inner work, become far less of a jerk, and be equally or more effective.
  - oblio 6y ago
    The sad thing is, they don't need that personal growth. Their luck or other character traits made/make them successful, they're rich and quite powerful, attractive to women, etc. So they'll never do what you're saying. For an extreme example, look at Trump. In Romanian we have a saying: "the only thing that will straighten a hunchback's back is the coffin".
    - ArloL 6y ago
      This has been on my mind a lot lately. IMHO personal growth of the founders/leaders is correlated with long-term success. A healthy organization should be able to adapt to changes in the market. The same is true for a healthy individual. And more importantly as leader(s) of an organization - because you must lead by example. E.g. if you have a healthy way to keep your ego in check or be aware of your flaws you will be able to notice issues in organizational structures; if you're willing to change when presented with new information so will the organization; if you micromanage everything you've fixed the speed of adaptation to your own - can be good - can be bad; if you need validation you will surround yourself with people that validate you no matter what; if you twist your reality so that you're always on top those lies will seep into the culture. It's kind of like Conway's law but more like organizations design structures (communication, hierarchies, etc.) which mirror their leaders identity/character/personality/soul...
    - vagrantJin 6y ago
      > "the only thing that will straighten a hunchback's back is the coffin". Thats so cold. Do Romanians generally call a spade, a spade?
- refurb 6y ago
  No. That’s just coverage bias. The leaders who are successful but aren’t dicks don’t have a ton of stories about them in the media about being brilliant dicks.
dmitriid 6y ago
Winners get forgiven for a lot if stuff.
watwut 6y ago
I read it ironically. I mean, if there are months in between, it makes plausible deniality that you forgot you got idea from someone else. Week makes you more of asshole.
refurb 6y ago
That’s the genius of Jobs. You get a woman pregnant then deny the child is yours. Afterwards you acknowledge your error and have a great relationship with the kid and name a product after them. That’s true genius.

visarga 6y ago

... /s ?

thinkingemote 6y ago

I recently learnt that Jobs would ask people in the elevator what they were working on and fire people then and there if he didnt like it. Now I hear that the next week he would take these ideas as his own. Ruthless.