"At a time when United States is looking for strategies to sustain its innovative advantage, Jobs stands as the ultimate icon of entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity. Jobs understood that the best way to create value was to bring together creativity with technology." -Mark Wellman
The life of Steve Jobs is a cautionary, yet extrodinary tale. Jobs' creativity and innovative power is unlike most people's ability, making his achievements extraordinary. But his investment in innovation controlled his life from circut board to iPhone, demonstrating the risks of such brilliance.
Apple is famous for their secrecy. It is unrivaled by any other company's policy. They are involved in every part of their product's life, from ideation until it touches the customer's hands. One of Jobs' primary obsessions, stemming from his father's attention to detail, was design at every level of the product. From the inside to the out, Apple has a solid design and purpose for each part.
I think that while Apple is so successful in what they've created, customization is the future. Software integration and open systems allow for a more tailored customers experience, such as the one consumers have at Tesla. While both use design thinking to achieve market dominance, they use it differently. The direct feedback and interaction Tesla and its customers have is invaluable and strengthens the company's empathy with the consumer. While Apple uses empanthy in product creation, it doesn't have pure feedback from users until after its launch. A big takeaway from Jobs would be the creativity and passion he fueled into every part of a design. Separate from the question of closed innovation versus open, Jobs' consideration of all sides of a product created cohesive, market dominating products continuously. Jonathan Ives, the head designer at Apple both under Jobs and currently, continues Jobs' values of design thinking and attention to detail in products to this day. |
Reflect on how Apple products have influenced your daily life. What Apple products do you own? How have these devices impacted how you work, how you communicate, or how you ingest media?
Apple products run my daily life. No joke. They also have laid the grounds for what I want to do in the future. I want to be a social media digital marketer and content strategist. Hi smartphones, hi laptops, hi tablets. Daily I use my computer to do almost everything, from online orders to studying for classes. I am especially dependent on my 2011 Macbook Pro at my internship, where everything is run via the internet. Talk about Google Docs on Google Docs. I am also addicted to Instagram, VSCO, Facebook (but I won't admit it), and like a thousand other apps all on my iPhone. I also loooove listening to music while walking and I FaceTime someone I miss every opportunity I get. So how do Apple products work into my daily life? They are my daily life. Jordan's tech closet: iPhone7 (Brand new. I love it. It's my best friend.) MacBook Pro (Dinosaur. But it has my sticker collection on the front so it lives on.) Family iPads (They control just about every function in my house from lights to alarms but they also play Netflix so best of both worlds) Ancient iPod Touches (So old they make your Grandma look like the Gerber baby) THE POINT: Apple is everywhere and it runs my life. No but actually the point is that Steve Jobs hit design thinking right on the nose. Apple products serve their purpose almost effortlessly, but definitely perfectly. I think that human dependence on technology is attributed to the ease at which technology flows through our daily life. At Cava we operate through the computer (aka I wouldn't have any way to get/give information). At school technology is a huge help, but also a huge distraction. The no laptops rule in BMGT289B definitely made it easier to focus and made the class old school. I find that memorization comes through writing and speaking, both things that are lost through technology in the classroom. |
Talk about Steve Jobs's legacy. On what do you believe he will he have a lasting impact? How much did he change the landscape—in technology, design, or gadgetry?
Jobs 100% left a legacy behind. He is a household name (for everyone over the age of 10) and is accredited the success of driving Apple to market domination. I will say, his genius gets lost in his legacy, as he is simplifed into short phrases to describe his life- "Founder of Apple." "Creator of the iPhone." "Crazy tempermental man."
In the grand scheme of things Jobs revolutionized three spheres. He changed technology forever through design thinking and his passion for Apple. Some of his developments, such as iTunes, changed the game and provided grounds for future innovation, such as streaming sites like Spotify and Pandora. Next he touched the animation world by bringing his genius to Pixar and changing the dynamics of companies within the industry. Goodbye Disney, it was nice knowing you. And finally, he made a mark in the medical world through NeXt.
Jobs' legacy is a complicated once, but a deserving one. His understanding of innovation and design thinking made him a force to be reckoned with. And though his personality is displeasing, his contributions to tech, design, and gadgetry triumph. Thank you Mr. Jobs for your visions.
Jobs 100% left a legacy behind. He is a household name (for everyone over the age of 10) and is accredited the success of driving Apple to market domination. I will say, his genius gets lost in his legacy, as he is simplifed into short phrases to describe his life- "Founder of Apple." "Creator of the iPhone." "Crazy tempermental man."
In the grand scheme of things Jobs revolutionized three spheres. He changed technology forever through design thinking and his passion for Apple. Some of his developments, such as iTunes, changed the game and provided grounds for future innovation, such as streaming sites like Spotify and Pandora. Next he touched the animation world by bringing his genius to Pixar and changing the dynamics of companies within the industry. Goodbye Disney, it was nice knowing you. And finally, he made a mark in the medical world through NeXt.
Jobs' legacy is a complicated once, but a deserving one. His understanding of innovation and design thinking made him a force to be reckoned with. And though his personality is displeasing, his contributions to tech, design, and gadgetry triumph. Thank you Mr. Jobs for your visions.
Isaacson raises the question of whether feelings of abandonment in childhood shaped Jobs's personality. Is his argument convincing?
Abandonment definitely plays a role in some of Jobs' less explainable tendencies, such as his intense obsession with his projects and his volitility in realtionships. Examples of Jobs struggling with abandonment stretch throughout the length of the book and are visible in all different spheres of his life. The first example the comes to mind is the fact that he always returns to his lover, ______, because he can't let go of that connection. Another example is his attachment to his devices. Being fired from Apple may have allowed Jobs to embark on a new chapter of his life, Pixar and NeXt, but I think the separation and betrayal stung him so badly because Apple was his family and they turned him away. I personally think his aggressive tendencies sprung from his desperation not to be abandoned again.
I'm not sure what a takeaway from Jobs' fear of abandonment would be, but I think his life teaches the lesson that you can be successful and be a jerk, but his life would've probably ended up very different if he had been more collaborative and created a welcoming environment. But at the same time, what he did worked in the end and gaining him an incredible legacy as an innovator.
Abandonment definitely plays a role in some of Jobs' less explainable tendencies, such as his intense obsession with his projects and his volitility in realtionships. Examples of Jobs struggling with abandonment stretch throughout the length of the book and are visible in all different spheres of his life. The first example the comes to mind is the fact that he always returns to his lover, ______, because he can't let go of that connection. Another example is his attachment to his devices. Being fired from Apple may have allowed Jobs to embark on a new chapter of his life, Pixar and NeXt, but I think the separation and betrayal stung him so badly because Apple was his family and they turned him away. I personally think his aggressive tendencies sprung from his desperation not to be abandoned again.
I'm not sure what a takeaway from Jobs' fear of abandonment would be, but I think his life teaches the lesson that you can be successful and be a jerk, but his life would've probably ended up very different if he had been more collaborative and created a welcoming environment. But at the same time, what he did worked in the end and gaining him an incredible legacy as an innovator.
How has your perspective of Apple as a corporate entity and of Steve Jobs as an individual changed after reading this biography? Would you ever want to work for someone like Steve Jobs? Why or why not?
I stood in the Apple store in the middle of October and my mom asked the employee if he knew what was in store for the iPhone 8. Before he could even answer I jumped in- "Mom! Apple is a closed company, it all runs on a need to know basis. He doesn't know anything, and neither do any of the designers that work on the project. You only know what you work on." The guy just stared at me and nodded his head.
I think that my perspective of Apple has definitely changed. Before I thought it was a mega-genius company, and now I still think it's a mega-genius company, just for different reasons. I understand more about the operation of the company, and through the Steve Jobs book I understand its start. I think Apple is the perfect inspiration for people who want to break into the tech industry because it shows you that all you need is an idea and a commitment to succeeding. Yes Steve Jobs was a genius, but his teams were the people that actually brought his ideas to life. I think I can really appreciate the genius behind each Apple creation. Before BMGT289B I had no idea the conviction and design thinking that drives the production of each iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Now, when I hold my devices I can understand that each feature was expertly crafted for a purpose, from the curved edges to the new home button on my iPhone7. Steve Jobs is relevant to me now, before this class I hadn't really thought twice about him. I think we was an agressive man with the ability to do aggressively innovative things. His love for exploration and chasing his dreams was really inspiring and intriguing to me.
I can't see myself ever working for someone like Steve Jobs because I'm a huge crier. It doesn't matter how amazing the experience would be, to work with someone of his calibrar and genius, I don't think I could emotionally handle that turmoil. I love having an inspiring work enviorment where collaboration and openness are welcome. The closed operation of Apple is deterrant for me, though I can appreciate its existance. I love working at Cava where everything is so accepting and I'm never afraid of getting screamed at. That's my biggest no-no about working for Steve Jobs. I just can't do the screaming.
I stood in the Apple store in the middle of October and my mom asked the employee if he knew what was in store for the iPhone 8. Before he could even answer I jumped in- "Mom! Apple is a closed company, it all runs on a need to know basis. He doesn't know anything, and neither do any of the designers that work on the project. You only know what you work on." The guy just stared at me and nodded his head.
I think that my perspective of Apple has definitely changed. Before I thought it was a mega-genius company, and now I still think it's a mega-genius company, just for different reasons. I understand more about the operation of the company, and through the Steve Jobs book I understand its start. I think Apple is the perfect inspiration for people who want to break into the tech industry because it shows you that all you need is an idea and a commitment to succeeding. Yes Steve Jobs was a genius, but his teams were the people that actually brought his ideas to life. I think I can really appreciate the genius behind each Apple creation. Before BMGT289B I had no idea the conviction and design thinking that drives the production of each iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Now, when I hold my devices I can understand that each feature was expertly crafted for a purpose, from the curved edges to the new home button on my iPhone7. Steve Jobs is relevant to me now, before this class I hadn't really thought twice about him. I think we was an agressive man with the ability to do aggressively innovative things. His love for exploration and chasing his dreams was really inspiring and intriguing to me.
I can't see myself ever working for someone like Steve Jobs because I'm a huge crier. It doesn't matter how amazing the experience would be, to work with someone of his calibrar and genius, I don't think I could emotionally handle that turmoil. I love having an inspiring work enviorment where collaboration and openness are welcome. The closed operation of Apple is deterrant for me, though I can appreciate its existance. I love working at Cava where everything is so accepting and I'm never afraid of getting screamed at. That's my biggest no-no about working for Steve Jobs. I just can't do the screaming.
"Sometimes life is going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith." -Steve Jobs