Reality Distortion Field-Brief notes on Steve Jobs Biography

Recently, I read the book Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.  Customarily I read bios of people deceased in prior decades or centuries, but couldn't resist the Kindle download price.   Perhaps the title of a recent Philadelphia Inquirer book review,  "Jobs as wizard and tyrant" is a useful summation, but for me the book was one of the few "can't put it down" books involving technology/biography I have read.  For the author's background information be sure and view the videos found on the Amazon link at the bottom of the post.

A few of my takeaways from this book:



 1.) Vision.  Business books/academics/companies always preach know what your customer wants.  Jobs believed he knew what his customers wanted when they didn't know.  He was able to marry technology to those future needs.  One example from the book relates to rounded corners, and how important they are from a product design standpoint.  Whether software or hardware,  product completion dates frequently lagged as Jobs insisted on his vision of design which included rounded corners.  This was where his total control of Apple Computer differentiated him from other visionaries like Gates.   The same applied to factories:  layout and design- painting industrial machinery the exact color shade; as well as Apple retail stores, (entrance stairs have a Jobs patent, or two), all were managed to a minute detail level by Jobs.

2.  Tyrannical nature:  The use of comedy circuit off color language in berating employees, suppliers, and industry stalwarts such as Bill Gates is well known.  For me it was his inability to agree with others suggestions, as he preferred to label many new ideas as "shit," while later adopting some as though they were his ideas.

3.  Control:  "Reality Distortion Field."  This term applies to events unable to be controlled by Jobs.  He simply ignored them.  The best example is an illegitimate child he fathered.  He ignored her for several years as though she didn't exist pretending it never happened.   Jobs wanted control of everything, and was proved wrong infrequently, given the successes he brought forth, but the reality distortion field dealt with those he couldn't control.

4.  "Oh, one more thing" (a favorite finale of a Jobs product intro) Many years ago I had the opportunity to choose whether I wanted to buy a Mac, or stick with the PC platform in a business environment.  I felt silly a few years later  after opting for the Mac, as Apple declined and Jobs was ousted from Apple Computer.  Oh how things change, but not me.  I was just a few decades too early!

The Amazon link is here:

http://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1451648537/ref=pd_ts_zgc_b_books_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&pf_rd_p=475709271&pf_rd_s=right-3&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=283155&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=157AFQ70WADRSED3J34G