There was a year in 1984. It was shortly before Steve Jobs left Apple and several years before Jobs would conduct one of the biggest turnarounds in business history, bringing Apple from the verge of bankruptcy to become one of the most valuable companies in the world.
Jobs was interviewing a reporter who was covering Silicon Valley. Jobs argued in the interview that the key to his success was not a superior design sense or any other special gift.
As you make mistakes, things get more refined. I have made a lot of mistakes. As you make mistakes, your aesthetic improves.
"But a real big thing is, the way I've always felt is, that if you're going to make something, it doesn't take any more energy--and rarely does it take more money--to make it really great," said Jobs. It will take a little more time. That's not much more. It's a willingness to persist until it's really good.
Perseverance is a good message for anyone trying to build a better product or business. Five key words from Jobs start it all.
Don't make a lot of mistakes.
Jobs's philosophy of making a lot of mistakes allows you to change your mindset. It takes the process of making mistakes, which most people see as negative, and makes it an important part of making your product better.
The value of this advice can be seen in a story from Apple's history that shows how you can apply it to your own business. If you enjoy this story and lesson, you can sign up for my free seven-day course, which will teach you how to build emotional intelligence.
Jobs began Apple's revival in 2001. The company faced a problem.
The overnight sensation was the ipod. The designers and executives at Apple were happy, but they also knew they needed to keep up with the times.
What's the reason? The next step would be to put mp3 players in cell phones. It was only a matter of time before a major phone manufacturer figured out how to do it.
The issue is that Apple didn't make cell phones.
Designers were quick to work on the first prototype of an Apple cell phone. One of the original designers described it as an iPod with a phone module if you wanted to dial a number.
He concluded? It wasn't good.
The entire project was scrapped by Jobs. One of the biggest flops of all time was Apple's first attempt at a touchscreen device, called the AppleNewton. Technology had gotten better, and the research on touchscreens had improved. Jobs looked at the plans and wondered if it was the phone.
The value of Jobs's philosophy can be seen in stories like these. Critics say that the company is not innovative.
Apple is known for getting things right. They love the public products and find ways to make them even better.
How do you use this lesson to improve your business?
You want to build an online course, an app, or something else. You can start by studying your competitors. What can you do to fill those gaps? You can use that question to help guide your process.
You might be tempted to wait until your product is perfect before launching or to use a small test group. Don't you? It won't be perfect no matter how much you research. TheNewton was a failure and even the iPhone didn't come close to it.
Make things as good as possible. User feedback can be used to identify what needs to be improved. Improve afterwards. Continue to improve. Don't stop revising your product.
It will be great if you persevere until it is.
It's important to remember that mistakes are part of the journey. You have more chances to improve if you make more mistakes.
You don't need a lot of time, but you want to see it through. The result will be great if you persist.
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