Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Steve Jobs on "Stop-Doing" Strategy

I was talking to one of my best friends last night and I noted that Steve Jobs had been a high-frequency item in a lot of the books I've been reading the past few months. Then I specifically referred to a quote from him as featured in Matthew E. May's very well-written new title In Pursuit of Elegance.

In this context, Jobs was referring to what is called a stop-doing strategy. He observes:

"People think focus means saying yes to the things you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things we have done." (81)





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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Where was Steve all my life?!

Becca said...

It's how I feel when I play with my iPhone. It's so full of great stuff yet so simple!
I call this genius. No other phone or gadget has made me happier and I'm a tough one to please. Just look at all the 'Lira' I've spent on stuff.
Best $199 I ever spent!

Unknown said...

And here I was thinking I'm too lazy for letting stuff take its course.
This is enlightening though as we're conditioned to do and act and move.