I HATED this list. A few rebuttals to point out why...<p>Steve Jobs did not create products he created an organization. No. He was partially responsible for the creation. He sat in on design meetings and offered input and feedback. Plus he vetoed bad idea (just as important)<p>Steve Jobs did not wrest market share from competitors he created new markets: Tell that to Creative Labs and Microsoft. Creative labs had an MP3 player and Microsoft had tablets before apple came along. Apple just did things better.<p>Steve Jobs did not design anything he gave others freedom to think: Not really. He certainly encouraged people to think for themselves but anyone whose studied Jobs will tell you he stuck to his own vision. Your only way to design a product at Apple under Jobs was to make your case to him and change his vision.<p>Steve Jobs did not develop new management theories he showed by example: Well how do you think management theory is born? Good management theory comes from people who practiced what they preached.<p>Steve Jobs was not a futurist he built the future one piece at a time: WHAT?!? You don't build the future one piece at a time unless you have a vision of what it will be like as a whole.<p>Steve Jobs was not charismatic he spoke from the heart: WHAT?!? What do you think "being Charismatic" means?<p>Steve Jobs was not a gifted orator he spoke plainly: A gifted orator is someone who is engaging to watch speak. Jobs was engaging.
"Steve Jobs was not a visionary. He put the dots together and saw where they led."<p>That's what being a visionary/genius is -- seeing things and making associations or "connecting the dots" before others do. It's having a rare and valuable perspective on the world.
I read this a bit differently than saying that anyone can do what Steve Jobs did.<p>To speak plainly, to be patient and put the dots together, to lead without charisma are all incredibly difficult things to do. It really does take genius and only the extraordinary amongst us can do it.<p>If you have a natural, god-given charisma, its very easy to be a leader. No accomplishment there. But you would lead for what purpose?<p>If you have some uncanny ability to predict the future as a whole, without error, you would be popular for your predictions but you wouldn't build much of anything, because building great things requires trial and error.<p>If you were merely a design expert, you'd make nice looking things, but you wouldn't be able to scale it, compared to the non-designer that sees the greatness in other designers.<p>Being foolish and curious really trumps all other skills, but how many people can truly endure being foolish and curious?
My interpretation of this post is a bit different from the others that I see here.<p>I see this as being about cutting through all the cliches and platitudes that we tend to run into when we talk abou Steve Jobs, and pointing out the truth behind them.<p>"Steve Jobs was a charismatic visionary with a knack for design who created revolutionary products."<p>...sounds like something the press would say about Jobs doesn't it?
I think this is a great list. It's one thing to mourn the loss of a great person, but the most frustrating thing about this is watching all the people on TV and in the mainstream media, and others who don't know much about Apple, say things that show they didn't really understand Steve Jobs at all.<p>I would disagree with the list in one respect. I believe Steve Jobs didn't have taste. Well, he had some taste, but he didn't have genius level taste. Steve Jobs did, however, know how to identify and listen to people who <i>did</i> have taste, and he worked very hard to learn from the people who did have it who didn't work for him (Eg: from the past, or people like Dieter Rahms who is retired, etc.)<p>But this is a great list overall.<p>I do wish the people who have been bashing Apple out of ignorance, and Steve Jobs out of ignorance and based on their preconceived notions or personal projections of their own faults, would at least wait until his body is in the ground before posting their drivel on the internet (I've seen far too much of this on HN already... making the site a lot less classy.)<p>In life, Steve Jobs didn't bother to respond to every scurrilous lie told about him, I wish, in death, such people would hold off until he's buried before ramping up the hate again.
I thought the title of this is annoying linkbait, so here's the "article" in its entirety:<p>Steve Jobs did not create products. He created an
organization that predictably and reliably created emotionally resonant products.<p>Steve Jobs did not make movies. He made a company that predictably and reliably made blockbusters.<p>Steve Jobs did not wrest market share from competitors. He created new markets that attracted and sustained competitors.<p>Steve Jobs did not design anything. He gave others the freedom to think about what jobs products are hired to do.<p>Steve Jobs did not re-engineer processes. He brought engineering processes to works of creativity and the creative process to engineering.<p>Steve Jobs did not develop new management theories. He showed by example that innovation can be managed.<p>Steve Jobs was not a visionary. He put the dots together and saw where they led.<p>Steve Jobs was not a futurist. He just built the future one piece at a time.<p>Steve Jobs did not distort reality. He spoke what he believed would become reality at a time when those beliefs seemed far fetched.<p>Steve Jobs was not charismatic. He spoke from the heart compelling others to follow him.<p>Steve Jobs was not a gifted orator. He spoke plainly.<p>Steve Jobs was not a magician. He practiced, a lot.<p>He had taste.<p>He was curious.<p>He was patient.<p>He was foolish.<p>He was hungry.<p>These things many others can do. Maybe you can.