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Steve Jobs’ Biggest Mistake?

There’s no denying that the most powerful force behind Apple is Steve Jobs. It’s his company. He’s built it and rescued it and made it the most influential company on the planet today.

I’m an Apple fan myself, from starting out on Macintosh computers in high school more than twenty years ago. And while it’s been fifteen years since my primary computer was a Mac, I still have my Classic II (black and white screen with a whopping 80MB hard drive!) at home, waiting for the time when I can display it in my office as a conversation starter.

It’s a shame that Steve is ill, and I sincerely hope he gets well again. But the world is wondering if Apple will be the same now that he’s not at the helm any longer.

The financial pundits are quick to tell us that Apple’s product pipeline is all about Steve for the next 18-24 months. Assuming that’s true, does that mean that Apple won’t start falling apart until then?

I hope not. Yet I wonder if Apple, the company Steve loves, has his DNA in it or not. In spite of all of his innovation, will Apple be the same company post-Steve?

I certainly hope both Steve and Apple survive. I know for sure that one day (a long time from now I hope) Steve won’t. The question is, how long will Apple survive without Steve?

There will always be superstar CEOs. Sometimes they just have what it takes to run a company while wooing the world. But is that the best business strategy?

Should CEOs be such a vital part of a company that their companies cannot exist without them? At what point is the line crossed?

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Zeno’s Paradox – Can You Go Halfway?

As I get back into the habit of blogging (and redesign a few things), I plan to release excerpts from my upcoming–and long overdue–book, “Make It Look Easy”. Here’s a section from Chapter 3 that I wrote this morning:

Zeno of Elea (great name!) was a Greek philosopher from the 5th century BC. He is famous for creating philosophical paradoxes documented by Aristotle. I first heard one of them in an algebra class in high school, and it’s stuck with me ever since. It basically goes like this:

Suppose I wish to shoot an arrow at a target ten feet away. In order for the arrow to hit the target, it must first travel half way, or five feet. But in order to travel the five feet to halfway, it must travel half of that distance, or two and a half feet. It must always travel half of the distance first, dividing in half to infinity. Therefore, the arrow can never reach the destination, and is in fact, motionless.

Of course, we all know that an arrow can travel the ten feet and hit the target. That’s what makes it a paradox. It can both hit and not hit the target based on logic and observation.

The answer lies in Calculus, a subject I never mastered. Basically it has to do with dividing an infinite distance with an infinite time to get a finite result or something. Try Google if you want a better explanation!

What I love about this paradox is not the paradox itself, but the concept of breaking any task into smaller tasks. If I have a major goal, I can move myself halfway to that goal. And before I can get halfway to that point, I can go halfway still. Eventually I get down not to infinitesimally small steps, but realistic and doable steps.

The division of the steps may be different to different people, depending on our skills, talents and abilities. But at some point, we look and say that the first step of our journey, not matter how small, is doable! And therefore, the big goal, no matter how big, is therefore also doable if we will only take each step on the path to achieving it.

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What Do You Want to Be Paid For?

What do you want to be paid for? What an awesome question! But can you answer it?

Before you do, we need to dissect the question.

We start with what you’ll be doing: What is the product you produce or the service you provide? Why do you want to do it? What makes it enjoyable or productive? Why is your world or the world around you better because of it?

Next is payment. Oh, yeah! Profit is a good thing…bills to pay, wife and kids to feed, stuff to buy. Getting paid when you add value isn’t greed– it allows you to keep working and to keep serving.

The intersection of what you want to do and what someone is willing to pay for is where your passion meets your income. Going off and doing whatever you want is fine (moral, ethical and legal limits apply). The trick is that someone has to be willing to pay for it!

Examine the extremes:

  • Do what you love and no one pays you for it = Fun hobby at best
  • Hate what you do and make a living (maybe even get wealthy) = J-O-B and a numb soul

Now you can answer the question: What do you want to be paid for?

If you can, congratulations! You’ve uncovered a real mission statement for your work or business.

If you can’t, what are you going to do about it? Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Talk with your spouse, parents, a friend or pastor
  • Read a good book on significance or purpose (I recommend Steven Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Successful People or Robert McGee’s The Search for Significance to start)
  • Engage with a coach (it works or I wouldn’t say it!)
  • Join a relevant community like 48Days.net or FreeAgentAcademy.com (they work too!)

Whatever you do, don’t do nothing!

Note: This article originally appeared in July 2010 issue of the Tri-City Review.

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Do ONE Thing

It’s not enough to have a good idea. You must be able to implement your idea to make it real. You must take action or it will die from starvation and lack of attention.

Planning and strategy can seem daunting, but plans don’t have to be complicated to be effective. In fact, simple plans are often more powerful because they are more tangible.

What’s ONE thing you can do today to move your business forward? To help you achieve a big goal? To make your dreams a reality?

Define the ONE thing…and then do it.

Do ONE thing each day…and after a year you’ve done 365 things.

I guarantee you’ll see progress looking back a year. And probably every day as well.

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