13A - Reading Reflections No. 1

Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson

1.     You read about an entrepreneur

a.     There were several things that surprised me about Steve Jobs upon reading the biography written by Isaacson. Steve Jobs was an amazing entrepreneur with a mind almost unparalleled to anyone in history in terms of innovation and  forward thinking. I was surprised most to learn that Steve Jobs did not become a billionaire through the success of Apple, Inc. He was made a billionaire by the success of Pixar, rather than the success of Apple.

b.     The thing I most admire about Steve Jobs is the idea of his “reality distortion field” as it is called in the book. This basically means that when Jobs decided that something needed to be done, through his charisma, leadership, and drive, he would work all angles of the process to point towards the execution of the idea.

c.     The thing that I least admire about Steve Jobs is the way that he approached and viewed family life. In Chapter 7, it is stated that Jobs refused to acknowledge his daughter as his own and that he later regretted how he handled the situation. I believe the way a leader treats his/her family is how he/she will also treat their employees and run their business.

d.     Steve Jobs faced a lot of adversity throughout his life. He was adopted by a couple that always cared for him and loved him but growing up without his biological parents was something that took a toll on him emotionally. He was always an outcast socially and had a difficult time fitting in at school. Jobs faced a lot of different aspects of adversity throughout his life and his ability to overcome them is what set him apart from others.

2.     The main competencies that I noticed in Steve Jobs were his abilities to envision an end goal and see it through into fruition. Jobs is undoubtedly one of the greatest innovators of all time. He was simple in the way that he operated but also complicated in goals that he set for himself. His greatest competency was his ability to execute and empower the people around him to come together for an end goal.

3.     I think the most confusing part about the book overall was the personality of Steve. He was a very interesting individual and the people closest to him even found it very difficult to connect with him. I think that is something that is extremely noteworthy.

4.     Question 1: What do you believe has been the single biggest contributor to your entrepreneurship success? – I would ask him this question because I believe it would offer me valuable insight into the mind of someone that has accomplished amazing things. Question 2: What do you believe was the biggest barrier that you ever had to overcome? – This question is super important because success is large in part due to the obstacles that must be overcome to achieve your end goal.

5.     I believe that Steve Jobs’ opinion on hard work is that it is required in order to be successful in this world. I also share this opinion because nothing in life is easy and success is worked for and earned.