Easy to talk smack about a dead man. (Also in bad taste.)
Funny how vocal and frequently critical Woz has been since Steve Jobs died.
Steve Wozniak: Steve Jobs wasn’t a natural-born leader
81–90 of 175 posts
Re: Steve Wozniak: Steve Jobs wasn’t a natural-born leader
#82Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Communication is the most undervalued skill by other engineers, and getting good at it sets you apart far quicker than technical growth alone. Engineers don’t undervalue this skill, many are just not good at it (and can’t get good at as easily as they can get better with technical skills). It is more of a selection bias in the sense that people who did well technically but were not great communicators would pursue…
I've been interested in whether technical work actually hurts social skills. Maybe not for everyone, but for some. I've found that when I really throw my mind into stuff for extended periods of time, I think my social skills do digress. Maybe it's just in my head. It also seems like many engineers start neglecting their tech skills and their social skills get better. Of course, that's often part of a concerted effort…
I’m pretty sure you’re right. Nowadays I tend to be fairly modal: if I’m “in my head” then social contact is bizarre and disruptive and I can’t come off like a human being. If I’m in the other mode, social contact is easy but I’m probably not doing deep work. As a younger engineer, I was locked in my head and all social experiences were difficult.
Re: Steve Wozniak: Steve Jobs wasn’t a natural-born leader
#83Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't assume that Steve Jobs thought of the iPhone when having a shower or anything. As with every idea, it must have evolved as people worked on other stuff. In the case of iPhone, we know how it came to existence, it is a story told countless times. Didn't Nokia had R&D department? Of course they did and I'm sure that they also had brilliant designers and engineers who did amazing work. They simply lacked a Steve…
You say that as if Nokia didn't produce some world class products but they did. There was a era when Nokia handsets were the one everyone wanted. And they were instrumental in building GSM, of which without no mobile phones would exist, let alone iPhones. I'm not going to deny that Nokia lost their way with Symbian handsets but my point is I don't see Apple as being uniquely brilliant. You often see this tide where o…
I don't say anything of that sort. Nokia made the best cellphones in the world and was never surpassed - it's just that people stopped using cellphones.
In fact, my argument is that Steve Jobs never competed with Nokia. In 2007, Steve Jobs introduced a new type of device that no one else was making. Sure, they had some functionality overlap with some devices but it was completely new thing and everyone rushed to abandone whatever they are doing and started competing with Apple a few years later.
Re: Steve Wozniak: Steve Jobs wasn’t a natural-born leader
#84Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Communication is the most undervalued skill by other engineers, and getting good at it sets you apart far quicker than technical growth alone. Engineers don’t undervalue this skill, many are just not good at it (and can’t get good at as easily as they can get better with technical skills). It is more of a selection bias in the sense that people who did well technically but were not great communicators would pursue…
I've been interested in whether technical work actually hurts social skills. Maybe not for everyone, but for some. I've found that when I really throw my mind into stuff for extended periods of time, I think my social skills do digress. Maybe it's just in my head. It also seems like many engineers start neglecting their tech skills and their social skills get better. Of course, that's often part of a concerted effort…
> I've been interested in whether technical work actually hurts social skills.
Correlation isn't causation. Hurt social skills could also lead to more interest in technical work. ALOT of SWEs aren't interested in people management for that reason, and its a blessing that FAANGs allow people to advance on IC tracks (though still developing some communication skills are necessary as your level rises).
As for if practicing social skills hurts technical skills, well, it is taking away time from practicing them so there should be some negative effect. A full time people manager often simply doesn't have much time to apply their technical skills as much as they'd like.
Re: Steve Wozniak: Steve Jobs wasn’t a natural-born leader
#85Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't assume that Steve Jobs thought of the iPhone when having a shower or anything. As with every idea, it must have evolved as people worked on other stuff. In the case of iPhone, we know how it came to existence, it is a story told countless times. Didn't Nokia had R&D department? Of course they did and I'm sure that they also had brilliant designers and engineers who did amazing work. They simply lacked a Steve…
You say that as if Nokia didn't produce some world class products but they did. There was a era when Nokia handsets were the one everyone wanted. And they were instrumental in building GSM, of which without no mobile phones would exist, let alone iPhones. I'm not going to deny that Nokia lost their way with Symbian handsets but my point is I don't see Apple as being uniquely brilliant. You often see this tide where o…
Except they are uniquely brilliant.
Several world changing products to their name even before becoming the worlds most profitable company in the history of humanity.
That’s not overstating things either.
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, apple has knocked a few out of the park in ways nobody else has been able to. With style, with panache.
Re: Steve Wozniak: Steve Jobs wasn’t a natural-born leader
#86The most impactful class I ever took as a programmer was Theater. Because of theater, I can confidently demonstrate a new feature in front of 150 people, and effectively lead retros and sprint demos. Communication is the most undervalued skill by other engineers, and getting good at it sets you apart far quicker than technical growth alone.
I was in the theater group in school - and learned a lot about myself there. I broke down crying when playing the Andri in Andorra as it was maybe too near to my personal experience being bullied, being the outsider, being seen for something one is not. Being harassed because people just assume. I also did my first presentation (voluntary) in 7th grade on the solar wind (we could chose our topics like "our pet", "my…
> make the audience feel what I feel
As my director put it, "If you're nervous, the audience will be nervous with you."
Re: Steve Wozniak: Steve Jobs wasn’t a natural-born leader
#87Earlier quoted context omitted.
I disagree, Steve Jobs didn't luck out. Instead, he never went through the filters. Had he tried to become an Aircraft Engineer or a Doctor, he might get filtered out but he and Woz ventured into an unestablished field that was about to boom. There were no filters to keep him out and though he lacked a scholar formation he was exceptionally brilliant and managed to walk the path better than the most. Peter Thiel says…
I don’t agree with Thiel on a lot of things, but in this instance I do. When someone says “I’m very competitive,” I hear that they want to live inside boxes created by other people.
>I hear that they want to live inside boxes created by other people.
That is a very nice way of putting it. Thank You.
Re: Steve Wozniak: Steve Jobs wasn’t a natural-born leader
#88Earlier quoted context omitted.
No need for conjecture — Steve Jobs said as much multiple times (e.g. "Getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.") One of the unintended consequences for Jobs was working with Ed Catmull at Pixar in the early 90s, who by all accounts was an exceptional manager and leader, and helped Jobs develop on this dimension.
It seems I really have to get my hands on good Jobs biographie it seems.
Creativity Inc, which was written by Catmull, is an equally good read if you’re interested in the subject.
Re: Steve Wozniak: Steve Jobs wasn’t a natural-born leader
#89Some 15 years ago or so? I don't remember. I was working at Apple on the color and graphics team. I don't even to this day remember what the exact circumstance was, but for some reason me and another engineer were urgently called into a conference room just a week or so before some big Apple product reveal. I feel like it was when the "Aqua" UI was to be revealed — I feel like it was something about the seven label c…
That's a really interesting story that resonates with one I heard from a friend. Years ago when we were both at Intel, my friend transferred into the corporate demo group. He related a story about the time he had to prep Andy Grove for a few minute segment of a CES demo. My friend was in complete awe of Grove's ability to bring 100% focus and attention to learning every detail of the script, learn it quickly, and never deviate from the script. I guess that goes with the territory for people at that level.
Re: Steve Wozniak: Steve Jobs wasn’t a natural-born leader
#90Some 15 years ago or so? I don't remember. I was working at Apple on the color and graphics team. I don't even to this day remember what the exact circumstance was, but for some reason me and another engineer were urgently called into a conference room just a week or so before some big Apple product reveal. I feel like it was when the "Aqua" UI was to be revealed — I feel like it was something about the seven label c…
Both were confirmed by other apple engineers. Steve rehearse his keynotes weeks and months before it even started.
And the backup machine was once used in an OSX keynote presentation.