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FoundersJanuary 19, 2018
#19 Becoming Steve Jobs
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About This Episode
What I learned from reading Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader by Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli. --- Learning from great company-builders (0:30) Steve Jobs verbal mastery (5:00) The failed negotiations between NeXT and IBM (10:00) "But how can he be a turnaround expert when he eats his lunch alone in his office, with food served to him on china that looks like it came from Versailles?" (18:00) "You can't go to the library and find a book titled The Business Model for Animation. The reason you can't is because there's only one company [Disney] that's ever done it well, and they were not interested in telling the world how lucrative it was." (22:00) Bill Gates on Steve's simplicity (29:00) Steve Jobs on being an artist (33:00) Apple pays half billion dollars to rehire Steve Jobs (34:00) "The company is one of the most amazing inventions of humans, this abstract construct that is incredibly powerful." (38:00) Unlocking secrets (42:00) Who gives a fuck about the channel? (45:00) "It's not about how fast you do something, it's about doing your level best." (52:00) Deep Restlessness (55:00) "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle." (59:00) Bill Gates on the negotiations between Pixar and Disney (1:08:00) ---- Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work. Get access to Founders Notes here. ---- “I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — Gareth Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast
Book Mentions
7 book mentions in this episode.
Jump to booksTip: Click “Mentioned at …” to copy a timestamp.
Tip: Click a cover image to open a book link.
Books Mentioned
Becoming Steve Jobs
Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli
“The book discusses the evolution of Steve Jobs from a reckless upstart to a visionary leader, highlighting critical years in his career.”
Sentiment: Deep Dive
Trigger: Steve Jobs' early career
For: Entrepreneurs and business leaders
Key quote: “To overlook those years is to fall into the trap of only celebrating success.”
The host mentions 'Becoming Steve Jobs' to highlight the critical years of Jobs' career that are often overlooked. These years were formative in shaping his leadership style and approach to building a successful company.
ASIN: B00R8IC37K
Buy on AmazonClick the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
Steve Jobs
Walter Isaacson
“The authorized biography of Steve Jobs, published shortly after his death, which the speaker has already covered in the podcast.”
Sentiment: Deep Dive
Trigger: Steve Jobs' leadership journey
For: Entrepreneurs and business leaders
Key quote: “To overlook those years is to fall into the trap of only celebrating success.”
The host discusses the complexities of Steve Jobs' character and career, particularly during his 'wilderness years' between his tenures at Apple. The mention of Walter Isaacson's biography highlights the importance of understanding both successes and failures in Jobs' evolution as a leader.
ASIN: B07ZMKXMTG
Buy on AmazonClick the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
Creativity, Inc.
Ed Catmull
“The podcast mentions Ed Catmull's book, 'Creativity, Inc.', as a great resource for learning how to manage creatives, particularly in relation to Steve Jobs' thoughts on Ed.”
Sentiment: Highly Recommended
Trigger: managing creatives
For: Managers and leaders in creative industries
Key quote: “It's one of the best books if you want to learn how to manage creatives.”
The host mentions 'Creativity, Inc.' to highlight its valuable insights on managing creative teams, particularly in the context of Steve Jobs' relationship with Ed Catmull at Pixar. The book is presented as a crucial resource for understanding effective management in creative environments.
ASIN: B09W2VSMCL
Buy on AmazonClick the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
“The excerpt references a book written by Gil Amelio titled 'My 500 Days at Apple', discussing his brief tenure as CEO of Apple.”
Sentiment: Passing Reference
Trigger: Steve Jobs and leadership
For: Listeners interested in Apple history and leadership dynamics
Key quote: “He actually wrote a book. I think it's called, like, My 500 Days at Apple.”
The host briefly mentions 'My 500 Days at Apple' in the context of discussing Gil Amelio's short tenure as CEO of Apple. This reference serves to highlight the challenges Amelio faced and how Steve Jobs perceived him during that time.
ASIN: N/A
Buy on AmazonClick the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
“Steve Jobs mentions that there isn't a book titled 'The Business Model for Animation', highlighting the uniqueness of Disney's success in the animation industry.”
Sentiment: Deep Dive
Trigger: Pixar's negotiation with Disney
For: Entrepreneurs and business students interested in animation and film industry dynamics.
Key quote: “You can't go to the library and find a book titled The Business Model for Animation, Steve explained.”
The host discusses Steve Jobs' strategic negotiation with Disney following Pixar's success with Toy Story. He highlights the lack of resources on animation business models, referencing the book 'The Business Model for Animation' to emphasize the unique position Pixar found itself in after its IPO.
ASIN: N/A
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The Innovators
Walter Isaacson
“The podcast suggests that there could be an interesting book comparing Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, hinting at the potential for a book like 'The Innovators' by Walter Isaacson.”
Sentiment: Passing Reference
Trigger: comparison of innovators
For: listeners interested in technology history
Key quote: “The podcast suggests that there could be an interesting book comparing Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, hinting at the potential for a book like 'The Innovators' by Walter Isaacson.”
The host briefly mentions 'The Innovators' as a potential book that could explore the similarities and differences between Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. This reference suggests an interest in the narratives of influential figures in technology.
ASIN: N/A
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Let My People Go Surfing
Yvon Chouinard
“The speaker mentions the book 'Let My People Go Surfing' in relation to Yvon Chouinard and Patagonia, discussing the idea of being an 80 percenter.”
Sentiment: Passing Reference
Trigger: book recommendation process
For: Listeners interested in productivity and book insights
Key quote: “I'm looking at the one I did on Let My People Go Surfing, the one on Yvonne Sherrard and Patagonia, and his idea of being an 80 percenter.”
The host mentions 'Let My People Go Surfing' as part of a broader discussion about how he timestamps podcast subjects for easier reference. He highlights the book's ideas, particularly those of Yvon Chouinard, to illustrate his method of organizing thoughts from the books he reads.
ASIN: N/A
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