Significant innovations endure, shaping our world and laying the foundation for further progress. Likewise, great innovators inspire and guide us long after they are gone. One such visionary innovator was Steve Jobs, whose legacy remains deeply embedded in our lives. Had he lived, Jobs would have turned 70 this month. A creative genius, a technological pioneer, and a relentless leader, he transformed industries and redefined how we interact with technology. Though his passing left a void, his influence continues to shape and inspire generations of innovators. Jobs challenged us to see the world not for what it was, but for what it could be. Let us honor Jobs and his legacy by embracing his lessons — thinking differently, pushing boundaries, and making our mark on the world.
Steve Jobs: The Person
As MacDailyNews aptly described him, Jobs was a visionary genius, a masterful showman, a relentless perfectionist, and a charismatic disruptor. He foresaw what the future of technology could — and should — be, and, crucially, he brought that vision to fruition. Jobs was also an ardent architect, as evidenced by the circular Apple headquarters, Apple Park, that he visualized and built. However, beyond these qualities, he was also a passionate learner and an inspiring teacher. As Apple CEO Tim Cook reflected in 2023: “People with the most to teach live like they have the most to learn — and Steve loved learning. He was the most curious person I’ve ever met, which made him the best teacher I’ve ever known.”
In 1979, Jobs visited Xerox PARC and saw a demonstration of their uncommercialized graphical user interface (GUI). Unlike others, he immediately recognized its revolutionary potential and envisioned how it could transform personal computing. This insight led to the development of the Apple Macintosh, which introduced the GUI to the masses. His ability to identify hidden potential, integrate ideas from diverse disciplines, and seamlessly apply them to his work was a hallmark of his visionary innovation.
Jobs always questioned, “Why do we always do it that way?” and preached the discipline of unconventional thinking. He made “think different” his company’s motto. His counterintuitive thinking forced rivals into confused denial. For instance, in 2007, Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer dismissed Apple’s first iPhone, saying, “There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance. It’s a $500 subsidized item … It is the most expensive phone in the world, and it doesn’t appeal to business customers because it doesn’t have a keyboard, which makes it not a very good email machine.”
Lessons from a Visionary Innovator
Jobs’s life and career offer valuable insights for technologists, developers, marketers, and business leaders. His approach to innovation and leadership offers invaluable lessons for professionals across industries. As I outlined in a Cutter Executive Update that celebrated Jobs’s legacy on the 10th anniversary of his death, nine key strategies defined his success. Jobs adopted a unique problem-solving approach, refining ideas until they became simple yet effective, and inspired others to do the same. He believed refining complex ideas into their simplest form leads to the most impactful innovations. Jobs helped transform the way the world communicates, interacts, and entertains. He even influenced the way innovators and business leaders think and work by simplifying technology, making technology beautiful, and providing a level-playing field for app developers.
His AI Vision
Long before AI became mainstream, Jobs foresaw its transformative impact. In his 1983 speech at the International Design Conference in Aspen, he predicted that AI-driven systems would revolutionize daily life in our lifetimes. His insights align closely with today’s advances in generative AI.
Jobs believed books were powerful but lacked interactivity. He envisioned technology that would allow users to engage with authors beyond static text. He articulated this in Aspen: “My hope is that, in our lifetimes, we can create a new kind of interactive tool … so that when the next Aristotle is alive, we can capture their worldview in a computer. Someday, a student will be able to not only read Aristotle’s words but also ask Aristotle a question and receive an answer.”
Beyond interactivity, Jobs anticipated brain-inspired AI: “We are building better and better computers. We are running up against roadblocks, but people are dedicating their lives to understanding the brain’s architecture to create better machines. I believe that by the end of our lifetimes, we will find answers to these questions.”
His belief in AI’s potential to augment human intelligence was evident in Apple’s acquisition of Siri in 2010, marking a significant step toward AI-powered personal assistance. Had he been alive today, I believe Jobs would not have settled for functional AI; he would have pushed for humanized AI, capable of understanding and responding to emotions authentically. Through AI companions for the elderly, customer service personnel, or students, he would drive AI to create deeper, more meaningful user experiences.
Jobs famously called the computer “a bicycle for the mind” — a tool to amplify human potential. He would advocate for AI that seamlessly integrates into daily life, not as a detached assistant but as an intuitive extension of its user. Imagine an AI-driven device that adapts to mood, location, and context — learning deeply about its users while prioritizing privacy and security. Jobs would see AI as a tool for empowerment rather than alienation.
Unconventional Management
While Jobs is widely regarded as a role model for innovation, inspiration for him came not from the business world but from music — specifically, the Beatles. In a 2008 interview on 60 Minutes, Jobs shared his admiration for the band’s dynamic: “They were four guys who kept each other’s negative tendencies in check; they balanced each other. And the total was greater than the sum of the parts.”
While most companies tend to invest in their successful core business, Jobs was always seeking ways to disrupt Apple’s market with cheaper, simpler solutions — the iPad being a prime example. Despite his often abrasive and autocratic leadership style — criticized by colleagues and business leaders — Jobs’s passion and relentless drive were instrumental in his and Apple’s success.
Purpose & Profit
Jobs led Apple with a blend of purpose and profit. As the late Ratan Tata, former CEO of the Tata Group, wrote, a purpose is “a spiritual and moral call to action; it is what a person or company stands for.” As an MIT Sloan Management Review article highlights: “When such a purpose exists, it provides employees with a clear sense of direction, helps them prioritize, and inspires them to go the extra mile — which should ultimately be good for profit.” Jobs embodied this philosophy, ensuring Apple’s mission extended beyond financial success, shaping technology that transformed industries and lives.
“What you don’t do determines what you can do,” says lifestyle guru Tim Ferriss. Jobs adopted this philosophy of empowered refusal to uphold his purpose and wielded the power of “no” when he felt doing so was appropriate. Jobs was highly selective about the projects Apple pursued and their features, stating: “I’m as proud of what we don’t do as I am of what we do.” Three types of no help an organization avoid purpose-diminishing activities: the essential no (saying no to anything contradictory to its purpose); the exemplifying no (a bold or unconventional decision to say no to achieve the purpose); and the enabling no (empowering stakeholders in the organization — employees, suppliers, and customers — to say no in service of the purpose. Jobs enacted all three forms of no to lead his products and Apple to success.
Empowerment & High Expectations
Jobs revamped and transformed Apple, on the brink of bankruptcy in 1997, into the world’s most-valued technology company, creating an “iEmpire.” Under Jobs’s leadership, Apple grew from near bankruptcy to the world’s most valuable technology company, reaching milestones such as a US $2 trillion market valuation by 2020 and a market capitalization of close to $3.5 trillion in February 2025. As High Growth CEO Stuart Ross outlined in his 2023 article, Jobs mastered success through empowerment of his team and high expectations from them. Jobs was able to create a vision, innovate new products within that vision, and then do it again and again. Time magazine, which featured Jobs on its cover seven times during his lifetime, once hailed him as “the man who always seems to know what’s next.”
Perseverance & Passion
In 1995, interviewer Daniel Morrow asked him: what are the factors for success for young people today? Jobs responded: “I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the nonsuccessful ones is pure perseverance.” Another factor that Jobs said was passion. Despite facing difficulties, obstacles, and discouragement while battling cancer, Jobs practiced pure perseverance in achieving his objectives and had passion.
In [the book] Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson chronicles “the roller-coaster life” and intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and relentless drive revolutionized six industries. The book details Jobs’s remarkable business journey alongside the personal struggles he faced along the way. Jobs’s story is both inspiring and cautionary, offering valuable lessons on innovation, character, leadership, and values.
While we recognize and celebrate Jobs’s remarkable achievements and seek to emulate his legacy, we must also acknowledge the profound regret he expressed in his final days. His life serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of balancing professional ambition with personal and family well-being — an insight that extends to all of us forever.
Summing Up
Jobs’s ability to foresee trends, focus on user experience, and redefine industries made his leadership an enduring source of inspiration. Today’s professionals and executives can, and should, learn several insights and strive for impactful advancements. Jobs’s advice, such as following one’s intuition, focusing on what truly matters, and pursuing meaningful work, remains timeless. As we commemorate his 70th birthday, let us be brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe we could change the world, and talented enough to do it.
[To learn more about Jobs’s strategy, passion, and leadership, I suggest you view this slideshow and listen to his inspiring 2005 commencement address at Stanford University.]
Photo credit: Md Mahdi/Unsplash
