Steve Jobs

Fascinating to read about Steve Jobs and his approach to changing people's life.  As a person deeply interested in building products, companies, entrepreneurship and business, i read this book very slowly - Googled for the stories and people mentioned in the book, watched his keynote speeches, searched for interviews and quotes. There were many goosebumps level moments and quotes that i awed. Not always you get a truly inspiring account (Both positives and negatives) of person who lived in your contemporary world.

The last chapter 'Legacy' aptly summarizes Jobs in his own words. He was definitely not an inventor. He possessed a remarkable ability to connect different ideas and different things to build products and companies that transformed people's lives. Empathy, Focus, Impute were tools he used his endeavor. He made people do impossible with his reality distortion field and bring out the best in them. What you see is what you get

'Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication' - Da Vinci

I you're don't love something, you're not going to go the extra mile, work the extra weekend and challenge the status quo as much.

In craziness we see genius.

Approach to building companies/Products
'You never start a company with the goal of getting rich. Your goal will be to make something you believe in and making a company that will last'

As a start-up scales
It is too easy as a team grows to put up with a few B players

Why apple and not HP/Altair at the valley
'It is better to be a pirate than to join the navy'

Relationship with people
He was both a romantic and afraid to be a romantic. Arrogant, peevish, emotional were all part of his mood swings. Either you're a hero or a bozo. He had a deep connect with every girl friend he had. So many people he slept with. Wonder how he found purest and deepest connect with every women! (#whatisthisidonteven)

Music 
Every time the book talked about i was excited. Given my knowledge about Bob Dylan and Beatles were limited, I googled for 'Like a rolling stone', 'You say want a revolution', 'Here comes the sun'

If he was an asshole, How to put up with him

Every one had their problems with Jobs. Chrisann Bernnan, John Sculley, Mike Markula, BillG, EricS, Steve Woz, endless list. Two people who managed him well Tim Cook and Jon Ivey. Both had deep connect with Jobs philosophies, but a bit more grounded persona. He was better at being an underdog than being a humble giant.

'If you didn't voice your opinion he would mow you down. He takes contrary positions to create more discussions because it might lead to better result' - Tim Cook

'Ideas are fragile. You have to be tender when they're in development' - Jon Ivey

'The best way to create the future is to invent it' 
His life, his philosophy, his products leaves an indelible impression on my thinking, career and life. Thank you Steve!

Doing something

'One should not dream of becoming something, one should dream of doing something.'

Source: PM Narendra Modi #NamoWave Indian express

Yercaud trip

Two hours of planning for the entire trip on a Friday for a weekend trip to Yercaud. Trip was a farewell to a couple of colleagues who are quitting to pursue their MBAs.

Yercaud, 380 Kms from Chennai, poor man’s Ooty (Poor man’s Shimla) was chosen for one Saroja level trip with 6 guys. We rented a Toyota Innova from Carzonrent. Very good experience, a brand new vehicle, 8K+ kms, good suspension. This ended up being a better experience than taking our own cars and comes at almost same cost. Impressed!

The Chennai->Ulundurpet->Salem->Yercaud is national highway and is better to travel than Thiruvanamalai route or Krishnagiri route. 7 tolls on the road and it is worth paying for the quality of roads where you can easily clock 150km per hour speed.

At Yercaud, we stayed at KC Hotels (1AC room, 1Tv, Washroom) near the Yercaud Lake (center point) for Rs.1100 per night. This works better than the posh resorts or hotels if it is going to be a 1 night stay. Best experience was the day 1 dinner buffet for Rs.650 at GRT Nature Trails SkyRocca. Value for money food, good variety and great service. We visited Karadiyur view point, Shevaroyan temple (highest point at Yercaud) on Day 1 evening  and Kiliyur falls and pagoda point on day 2. The Trek downhill and rock climbing at Kiliyur was a fabulous and tiring experience. Day 2 breakfast at Eggeterian was perfect for the insatiable hunger after tiresome walk back uphill. On our return,we descended the famous 21 hairpin bends of Yercaud and finished our Lunch at GRT Grand Estancia Salem. Repeat customer at GRT!

Fabulous weekend and a welcome break from work schedule to spend time with people and nature. All expenses dutched, it comes to Rs.4000-5000 per head. Yercaud experience could work even better if you visit on a trekking or cycling expedition than just as a weekend trip for Chennai/Bangalore folks.

Outliers

Outliers - The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

Outliers are people who had the strength and presence of mind to seize the opportunities that come their way. Gladwell uses life examples of Bill gates, Beatles, Bill joy, Hockey players, and air crashes of Korean airlines to understand different outliers. He argues that Achievement is talent plus preparation and Successful people don’t do it alone. Even factors like where they come from matters and the ancestors have an impact. The cumulative effect of small but significant factors can make a huge difference.

Not all people born in a month or in a place are successful.  People at the top who work much much harder than others and have more than 10000 hours in a field become successful. Success is a function of persistence and doggedness and the willingness to work hard.

While conceptually the book covers the concept of 10000 hours, and explains about successful people. But I wonder how many of these factors are controllable and can help a personal become successful in life.

Here’s one more example of Outliers concept. On class 12 exams in Tamil Nadu.

Gladwell is a good story teller. Worth a read.