Video · 2 min

Focusing is about saying no (WWDC 1997)

Steve Jobs · Steve Jobs, Apple WWDC Free Beginner

Focusing is about saying no (WWDC 1997)

Two minutes that reframe focus as the discipline of turning down good ideas, not just picking one. Jobs says he is as proud of what Apple did not build as what it did, which is the exact permission a founder drowning in requests needs. Send it to yourself before a call where you know you have to disappoint someone.

  • Focus means saying no to the hundred other good ideas
  • Being proud of what you did not build is a sign of strategy
  • Innovation is saying no to a thousand things
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The question it answers

  1. How do I say no to feature requests without losing customers?

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