Entertaining and informative not only about the man himself, but also about how different products developed. The focus is not necessarily on the wide range of behaviors Jobs exhibits, although there is evidence of the disregard for how others perceive his words or dismissive attitude to those who have not met his high standards. However, it does remind me of certain behaviors we might see in some of our students as we try to modify their behaviors.
Driven to succeed, Jobs has the goal of creating integrated products of the highest quality and those who do not contribute to the success are not worth dealing with in his work site. It certainly shows his employees and colleagues that they need to stand up to him and not be cowed by his "either or" attitude. Workers might be considered the smartest idea contributors ever or the most stupid and worthless....sometimes in the same day.
Not having followed much of Apple development previously, I was intrigued by how the iTunes, iPods, and iPhones were created to keep the whole experience from the view point of the user to be the most satisfying, without frustration. I love my iPhone and have used many downloads of iTunes without realizing the efforts put into making these easy enough for me to use. The software and hardware connected in such a way that design is a focus as well as the technology. I can appreciate rounded corners and different colors that Jobs insisted upon. The product needed to match a design he had in mind and not be sacrificed to product costs. Design was so important that items not meeting his high standards were scrapped.
His leaps of intuition when he simply touched an item and knew whether it was "right" or "not" made me think of some others I know who can do that. Perhaps his early life of Zen meditation and travel to India in search of spiritual enlightenment had something to do with that. His relationships with women are detailed as well as his final look back at how Joan Baez was not a real "love," but someone he cared a lot about...for three years.
Jobs's official biographer, Walter Isaacson described him as the "creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing." Having read a great deal about Pixar and the Disney connections, I found this version from Jobs' perspective extremely interesting.
I recommend taking the time to walk back and listen to Isaccson's story of Jobs' life. Get an unvarnished view of his passion, perfectionism, obsession, artistry and compulsion for control. Even with his compulsion for control, Jobs gave Isaacson freedom to write, putting nothing off limits.
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