Steve Jobs

Apple co-founder

Contemporary influential 92 sayings

Sayings by Steve Jobs

What is Apple? Apple is a company that makes tools for creative people.

1983 — Internal Apple meeting, regarding the Macintosh
Controversial Unverifiable

We don't get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life.

Unknown — Internal Apple meeting
Controversial Unverifiable

I’m probably one of the few people who knows what it’s like to lose $250 million in one year. It builds character.

1989 — Interview, 'BusinessWeek'
Controversial Unverifiable

I think the mobile phone business is going to be the next big wave. And we're working on some things that we think are going to be pretty revolutionary.

2004 — Interview, 'The Wall Street Journal'
Controversial Unverifiable

I'm a big believer in the power of the human mind. And I think that if you put your mind to it, you can do anything.

1985 — Interview, 'Playboy' magazine
Controversial Unverifiable

The minute you understand that you can poke life and if you push in one thing something will pop out the other side, that you can change it, you can mold it. That's maybe the most important thing. It's to shake off this erroneous notion that life is there and you're just going to live in it, versus embrace it, change it, improve it, make your mark upon it.

1996 — Interview, 'Wired' magazine
Controversial Unverifiable

The computer is the most remarkable tool that we’ve ever come up with. It’s the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds.

1995 — Interview with Robert Cringely, 'Triumph of the Nerds'
Controversial Unverifiable

I think that if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what’s next.

2006 — Interview, 'NBC Nightly News'
Controversial Unverifiable

We hire people who want to make the best things in the world.

2000 — Interview, 'Fortune' magazine
Controversial Unverifiable

It comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don't get on the wrong track or try to do too much.

1997 — WWDC keynote
Controversial Unverifiable

I think the biggest innovations of the 21st century will be at the intersection of biology and technology. A new era is beginning.

1996 — Interview, 'Wired' magazine
Controversial Unverifiable

You have to be a little crazy to do this. You have to be a little crazy to build a computer company.

1983 — Internal Apple meeting, regarding the Macintosh
Controversial Unverifiable

I'm a firm believer that if you've got a great idea, you should pursue it with all your heart and soul.

1985 — Interview, 'Playboy' magazine
Controversial Unverifiable

The desktop computer industry is dead. Innovation has ceased. Microsoft dominates with no real innovation. That's over. Apple lost. The desktop computer market has entered the dark ages, and it's going to be in the dark ages for the next 10 years, or certainly for the rest of this decade.

1996 — Interview, 'Wired' magazine
Controversial Unverifiable

I think that the Macintosh was one of the most significant things that ever happened in the history of computers.

1995 — Interview with Robert Cringely, 'Triumph of the Nerds'
Controversial Unverifiable

We've got to make sure that we're doing the right thing for the customer. And if we're not doing the right thing for the customer, then we're not doing the right thing for Apple.

Unknown — Internal Apple meeting
Controversial Unverifiable

I started Apple in my parents' garage when I was 20. We worked our butts off, and we made a lot of mistakes. But we learned a lot, and we got a lot done.

1985 — Interview, 'Playboy' magazine
Controversial Unverifiable

We've got to make the small things count. We've got to make them sing.

1997 — Internal Apple meeting transcript
Humorous Unverifiable

It's not a lot of money, but it's enough to buy a nice car... or a used airplane.

2005 — Referring to the initial investment in Pixar, during a commencement speech at Stanford University
Humorous Unverifiable

You know, we don't have enough time to be good at too many things.

2000 — Interview with Fortune Magazine
Humorous Unverifiable