Steve Jobs is insulted!

Steve Jobs always displayed his wit in events, interviews, and other encounters where he had a chance to speak. However, the co-founder of Apple also had his temper, something that was well-known internally, as anecdotes suggest that you could be on the receiving end of it at the slightest provocation.

That`s why tense arguments with Jobs have been very rare in the public eye. One of those few times was at the WWDC in 1997 when a journalist dared to harshly criticize the work of Apple`s then-adviser. Jobs` response is etched in history.

"I`ve made this mistake more than anyone in this room, and I have the scars to prove it."

The interaction can be seen in this video, from which I`ll translate the important parts as follows:

"Mr. Jobs, you are a brilliant and influential man..." [audience laughs as Jobs anticipates what`s coming and playfully shields himself with his chair]
Jobs (jokingly): "Here it comes!"
"It`s sad, and it`s clear that in many of the topics discussed, you don`t know what you`re talking about. [...] Can you tell us what you`ve been doing for the last seven years?"
Steve Jobs had just made a controversial decision at Apple by withdrawing certain Java specifications and the OpenDOC protocol from the market.

You know... you can please some of the people some of the time. But one of the hardest things when you`re trying to make changes is that people like this gentleman are right in some areas. [...]
Regarding the issue of OpenDOC specifically, Jobs argued that, of course, there would be some unique uses of the protocol that no other system could do, but they still wouldn`t fit into an overall vision "that would allow you to make 8 to 10 billion dollars a year selling products."

"We can`t just sit down with the engineers first and figure out what we can do; we have to sit down with the customer first. I`ve made this mistake more than anyone in this room, and I have the scars to prove it."
Jobs` conclusion is simple: he apologizes for the mistakes made, admits that more will be made along the way, and warns that it`s because decisions are being made. And that`s "a good thing," even though "some people get upset," because in the end, "the result is much better."

This is one of the remarkable moments when Jobs acknowledges his mistakes and provides a convincing explanation of the situation. And at this moment, it becomes clear that at Apple, they know they make mistakes and that when they do, there are consequences, but those consequences are expected and addressed over time.

Publication Date: 2023-09-14

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