For this Reading Reflection assignment, I had to read a biography about a famous entrepreneur. Limited by the poor selection of books at my local library, I chose to read Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. Let me tell you, this book was mighty intimidating to pick up. Nearly six-hundred pages of technological brilliance can be a lot for someone to take in. I started reading the book with the mindset of "ripping off the band-aid". I thought to myself, "OK just read the book for the assignment, and just get it done with".
I couldn't have been more wrong with my judgements. The book was captivating, and Jobs' quirky and strange personality made the book very interesting. After learning more about Jobs' upbringing and life, I realized he was indeed a very unique person. The biography also helped me put into perspective the immense impact he had on the technological world.
1) I think what shocked me the most about Steve Jobs was that he was essentially a Buddhist hippie. When I think of computer scientists, I think of men wearing glasses and plaid shirts tucked into their khaki pants. Jobs was definitely not the stereotypical "computer geek", and I think that really set him apart. He was a brilliant man with a passion for technology, but that drive combined with his appreciation for the arts and spirituality created a unique perspective on technology.
I really admired Jobs' perseverance. When he was told he couldn't do something, he would go against all odds to do it. He was a man who knew what he wanted and worked hard to get it. On the other hand, I wasn't a fan of his management style and his lack of loyalty to close friends. I understand that you have to do things to be successful, but I am a strong believer in treating everyone fairly. When people would approach Jobs with their ideas, he would tell them that their ideas were awful, and then if he liked an idea, he would claim the idea as his own. In another situation, Jobs withheld shares of stock from Wozniak and lied to him about it. It amazed me how cold Jobs could be towards a loyal friend.
Steve Jobs definitely encountered adversity at times throughout his life. Being abandoned by his birth parents and adopted by a new family, Jobs faced adversity at a young age and experienced turmoil from the emotional pain it caused him. I think that this pain lit a fire in him to be a troublemaker and to go against the norms. Jobs would rebel against his teachers as a student, and as an adult, he went against the "norms" of the technology industry to create a huge transformation in the industry.
2) Jobs exhibited perseverance and saw the world in a different light. He saw opportunities where others did not and had the resources and knowledge to make things happen. In addition, he knew how to make a business successful and how to have an "edge" against competitors. Jobs was definitely ahead of his time. He was able to efficiently innovate changes in the computer industry that would've taken significantly longer to implement. His ability to see the big picture while also focusing on the details consumers valued was a huge contributing factor to his success.
3) One part of the reading that I found to be confusing was understanding some of the technical terminology. Jobs and Wozniak created many systems and programs in their time. Isaacson did a good job going into detail about the projects Jobs completed without being overly complex, but I still found it hard to understand some of the terms. Also, since laptops and iPhones are so common today, I found it strange to picture a "prehistoric" version of the technology we have today.
4) If I were able to ask Steve Jobs two questions, they would be:
- What was the most difficult project/experience you've had to deal with?
- Did you ever find yourself discouraged and close to giving up on your ideas? Why/How did you get over that slump?
I would ask Jobs these questions because I have often heard about how entrepreneurs face a lot of adversity. FBLS, a business club at UF that I am very passionate about, has had local entrepreneurs speak to our members, and each one talked about difficult obstacles they had to overcome and their moments of discouragement. Since Jobs had the mindset that anything could be accomplished, I wonder if he ever felt like some obstacles were harder to tackle than others.
5) I think Steve Jobs valued hard work, but he valued successful hard work more. He believed that the world had no obstacles and that anything could be achieved. If someone said a certain code was impossible, he would withhold that information from them and they would end up succeeding! The biggest obstacle is your own mind. I share that opinion that anything can be achieved as long as we do not create mental blocks. I find that when I am facing a challenge, the less I focus on how intimidating the big picture is, the more successful I am. If you do not know that something is unachievable, is it really unachieveable?
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