Friday, February 11, 2011

Whether you're an Apple fan or not, Steve Jobs' birthday definitely affects you. If you have an iPhone, an iPod, or even if you just know someone who's obsessed with their Mac, you can't really exist in today's technological world without Steve Jobs affecting your life.

Thirty years ago, everyone used those old Apple clunkers, and Apple became synonymous with outdated, useless technology. Who would have guessed that Apple would stage such a comeback, and Steve Jobs would become one of the strongest CEOs in corporate America? This year, celebrate Steve Jobs' birthday by enjoying some of his wit and wisdom.

1. A lot of companies have chosen to downsize, and maybe that was the right thing for them. We chose a different path. Our belief was that if we kept putting great products in front of customers, they would continue to open their wallets.

2. Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It's not about money. It's about the people you have, how you're led, and how much you get it.

3. I'm convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.

4. Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected.

5. Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?

6. I am saddened, not by Microsoft's success -- I have no problem with their success. They've earned their success, for the most part. I have a problem with the fact that they just make really third-rate products.

7. Process makes you more efficient. But innovation comes from people meeting up in the hallways or calling each other at 10:30 at night with a new idea, or because they realized something that shoots holes in how we've been thinking about a problem. It's ad hoc meetings of six people called by someone who thinks he has figured out the coolest new thing ever and who wants to know what other people think of his idea. And it comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don't get on the wrong track or try to do too much.

8. I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what's next.

9. It's really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them.

10. Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.

You can't get more successful than Steve Jobs, so who better to turn to when you need advice? Whether you're innovating new solutions or just looking for words to inspire you to be the very best you can be, let Steve Jobs' birthday motivate you to do your very best!

For more success quotes, check out the popular success quotes section at Famous-Quotes-And-Quotations.com, a website that specializes in 'Top 10' lists of quotations in dozens of categories.