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It's true that SJ built a high pressure work environment, but I bet if you asked any Apple engineer, they would all admit they produced some of their life's bes

It's true that SJ built a high pressure work environment, but I bet if you asked any Apple engineer, they would all admit they produced some of their life's best work under that culture. It may seem draining and offensive after the fact, but in the moment being pushed to your max, you really can change the world. No one is against more positive work places, but not everyone can handle hostile ones, so there is an allure to that in itself.

aspir 14y ago
The belief that someone will produce their "best work" in a stress-filled deadline of _one project_ is shortsighted. If by "best work" you mean "maximum extraction in a short time frame," you're probably correct. But the belief that someone can truly produce a magnum opus in the truest since within one project, especially a project that driven by a negative taskmaster, is completely ludicrous. Its a myth perpetrated by the taskmasters of this industry. These projects may culminate to their magnum opus, but it's not yours.
- zeteo 14y ago
  > the belief that someone can truly produce a magnum opus [...] within [...] a project that driven by a negative taskmaster, is completely ludicrous There's a difference between a stressful and an honest environment. If you read some of the classics of engineering literature ("Skunk Works", "Dealers of Lightning" etc.), some of the greatest engineering projects ever created were built with managers who were not afraid to tell people they sucked and could do better. I think, in general, to produce a magnum opus most of us do need an external, unbiased mirror of our performance. It's easy to err on the negative side and discourage people; but erring on the positive side (which is far more common these days) is also a betrayal of that person's true potential.
randall 14y ago
I worked in an environment like this once. I'll never do it again. Did it make me a better person? Maybe. Hard to say. I know I made some really long lasting friendships there, but I'm not sure it was net positive, especially for the long-term.
- jamesaguilar 14y ago
  I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting a medium-to-low pressure environment. That's where I am too. I'll bet I could produce more/better work in a higher pressure environment, but that's not what life's about to me. It's about going home to my wife, playing fun video games, and hanging out with my friends. That said, I'm glad there are Jobses out there to give ambitious people the leadership they need -- and to give me the iPhones I crave.
michaelochurch 14y ago
I'm not impressed by this "life's best work" stuff because (to be blunt) most people never produce anything worth caring about in their careers. It's not that they're stupid or lazy or lack the talent. They just never get the opportunity. Most of the work people are paid to do mediocre garbage and not allowed to push further. If Steve Jobs deserves credit, it's for giving people permission to excel (or, I should say, not getting in their way). I am going to post a primary about why Steve Jobs succeeded.

aspir 14y ago

The belief that someone will produce their "best work" in a stress-filled deadline of _one project_ is shortsighted. If by "best work" you mean "maximum extraction in a short time frame," you're probably correct. But the belief that someone can truly produce a magnum opus in the truest since within one project, especially a project that driven by a negative taskmaster, is completely ludicrous. Its a myth perpetrated by the taskmasters of this industry. These projects may culminate to their magnum opus, but it's not yours.

zeteo 14y ago
> the belief that someone can truly produce a magnum opus [...] within [...] a project that driven by a negative taskmaster, is completely ludicrous There's a difference between a stressful and an honest environment. If you read some of the classics of engineering literature ("Skunk Works", "Dealers of Lightning" etc.), some of the greatest engineering projects ever created were built with managers who were not afraid to tell people they sucked and could do better. I think, in general, to produce a magnum opus most of us do need an external, unbiased mirror of our performance. It's easy to err on the negative side and discourage people; but erring on the positive side (which is far more common these days) is also a betrayal of that person's true potential.

randall 14y ago

I worked in an environment like this once. I'll never do it again. Did it make me a better person? Maybe. Hard to say. I know I made some really long lasting friendships there, but I'm not sure it was net positive, especially for the long-term.

jamesaguilar 14y ago
I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting a medium-to-low pressure environment. That's where I am too. I'll bet I could produce more/better work in a higher pressure environment, but that's not what life's about to me. It's about going home to my wife, playing fun video games, and hanging out with my friends. That said, I'm glad there are Jobses out there to give ambitious people the leadership they need -- and to give me the iPhones I crave.

michaelochurch 14y ago

I'm not impressed by this "life's best work" stuff because (to be blunt) most people never produce anything worth caring about in their careers. It's not that they're stupid or lazy or lack the talent. They just never get the opportunity. Most of the work people are paid to do mediocre garbage and not allowed to push further. If Steve Jobs deserves credit, it's for giving people permission to excel (or, I should say, not getting in their way). I am going to post a primary about why Steve Jobs succeeded.