Steve Wozniak is the engineer who constructed Apple.
Then he did one thing Silicon Valley nonetheless doesn’t perceive: he gave thousands and thousands of his personal cash away to early staff, walked away from energy, and refused to play the sport everybody else was enjoying.
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Whereas HP rejected his design and rivals constructed walled gardens, Wozniak’s philosophy of open structure, the very one a younger Steve Jobs fought in opposition to, is what saved Apple lengthy sufficient for it to turn out to be Apple.
That is the story of the reluctant founder who received by refusing to compromise, and a blueprint for achievement with out promoting your soul.
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+ Members have entry to my highlights and notes from Steve’s biography, iWoz.
Classes from Steve Wozniak:
Flip constraints into a bonus: Wozniak spent years designing computer systems on paper as a result of he couldn’t afford to construct them. He handled the constraint as a puzzle to be solved. He’d use twenty chips as an alternative of 100. Then he’d redesign it once more, and once more. By the point he received entry to the actual elements, he’d already carried out the toughest work: the considering. The educational was the prize. Whenever you concentrate on mastering the step you’re on, not the result you need, you construct one thing most individuals can’t: deep experience that compounds over time.
Optimize for the appropriate buyer: Steve Jobs wished simply two growth slots for the Apple II. And his causes had been appropriate. Solely having two slots would make for a extra elegant machine. However Steve Wozniak fought for eight. Why? As a result of he’d been going to Homebrew Laptop conferences and watched the engineers sharing concepts, buying and selling schematics and pushing boundaries. These actual clients weren’t the legendary “common customers” of tomorrow. They had been the hackers and tinkerers of at the moment. Those who’d purchase their first thousand models, then turn out to be evangelists. Jobs was optimizing for a market that didn’t exist but. Wozniak was optimizing for the individuals who had been already displaying up. Inside months, dozens of corporations constructed merchandise for these eight slots. And each turned a advertising and marketing arm for Apple.
The Clever Lack of Management: Wozniak gave away his Apple I schematics and wished to do the identical factor for each pc he designed. To him, each one that tried to construct a pc turned a part of the story. They struggled with the identical issues. They appreciated the magnificence of Wozniak’s options. By the point the Apple II launched, there was already a group that understood what made it particular. Gifting away management created one thing you may’t purchase: real advocacy. The query isn’t “How do I defend my thought?” It’s “How do I make my thought unfold?”
Assume Completely different: Each pc earlier than the Apple I had switches and blinking lights. They took thirty minutes to load a easy program. Business consultants accepted that that was simply how computer systems labored. Wozniak requested a distinct query: “Why not put a keyboard and display screen on it?” Apparent in hindsight. Revolutionary in 1975. When Wozniak designed the Disk II controller, he used only a handful of chips when rivals used twenty-two. Wozniak noticed an idle processor in his pc and used it to do the work as an alternative. Invoice Gates would name it “Essentially the most intelligent program ever written for a small pc. Typically crucial query isn’t “How do I do that higher?” however “Why am I doing it this manner in any respect?”
Success on Your Personal Phrases: In the mean time when Wozniak turned one of many richest folks in America, he did one thing inexplicable: he gave thousands and thousands away to colleagues who’d been unnoticed. When Apple turned a public firm obsessive about quarterly earnings, he left. Not in anger. Quietly. He’d developed a method as a child: “Happiness = Smiles minus Frowns.” Every thing else was noise. Wozniak outlined it for himself, then had the braveness to stroll away when issues modified. The toughest factor you’ll ever do is flip down what everybody else desires so you may have what you really need.
Loyalty Has Limits: Wozniak cherished HP. Dream job. Dream firm. When he invented the Apple I, he supplied it to them. He begged them to take it and was bummed once they didn’t. He was free to go away however didn’t need to. It took Steve Jobs recruiting his household and pals for an intervention. Right here’s the lesson: loyalty to a corporation that doesn’t worth what you’re constructing isn’t loyalty. HP’s blindness price them billions. Wozniak’s loyalty practically price him Apple. The query isn’t “Am I being loyal?” It’s “Am I being loyal to the appropriate factor?”
Platform Over Product: The Apple II with eight growth slots turned a platform. Radio Shack and Commodore had more cash however they constructed computer systems that had been simply home equipment. They wished to manage every little thing: peripherals, software program, the complete expertise. These had been walled gardens earlier than the time period existed. Apple II’s openness created an ecosystem. VisiCalc, the primary spreadsheet, may solely run on the Apple II. Not due to an unique deal. As a result of the Apple II was the one machine with sufficient RAM, a disk drive, and a correct show. The enterprise market didn’t select Apple. VisiCalc selected Apple, and the enterprise market adopted. You possibly can’t predict each use case. Construct the platform and let others uncover what’s doable.