One, Jobs led Apple to become the world's most valuable company through an obsessive attention to detail, innovation and quality. He saw Apple as living at the intersection of art and science, something that intrigues me, as that's how I've perceived my own career.
Interestingly, Jobs didn't believe in focus group testing or market research of any kind. Rather, he fervently believed that people don't know what they want until you show it to them. As a marketer, he broke the mold.
Two, Jobs was clearly an asshole, and left a path of misery almost everywhere he went. Even those closest to him admit that he lacked any real compassion for people. His quest for perfection in Apple came at the expense of basically everything else in his life.
These two opposing themes beg the question, was it worth it? Would I want to build the world's most valuable, most admired company at the expense of any lasting personal joy? The answer is a clear "no". He seems to have been a deeply unhappy man.
But then again, the world is better off for him. Apple (not to mention Pixar) has had a dramatic effect on life in the 21st century, bringing untold joy to billions.
So I'm glad he was here; but I'm equally glad not to have walked in his shoes.
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