I finished reading the bestselling biography of the late Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. This is not light-reading, nor does it align with the heroic figures of Horatio Alger. Steve Jobs was a complex and driven man, whose personal flaws often distracted from his intense and competitive genius.
The most relevant lesson is that QUALITY WINS THE BATTLE. Jobs did not have a 100% success rate, but the initiatives for which he was most admired reflected his relentless desire to intersect the prevailing desires for technology, design, usability, and business savvy. This desire resulted in the successful launches and sustained penetration of Apple II, Macintosh, iPod, iPhone, and iPad, as well as the influential driver behind the successful Pixar movies and Apple retail stores.
I also learned the word "IMPUTE" which is to attribute the quality of a product or entity based on its initial impression, literally judging the book by its cover. This was one of the core design principles from the earliest days of Apple, and is reflected in the current product designs.
Some memorable lessons derived from the biography:
- Focus
- Think Different
- Eat your vegetables
- Enforce collaboration and face-to-face interactions
- Pause and rework to get the optimal solution
And the most relevant for any quality professional, BE A YARDSTICK OF QUALITY.
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