Why Steve Jobs’ pride is an asset

How’s this for derivative inspiration? This post is a reaction to John Gruber’s summary of the New York Times’ preview of the new Apple “Device”

Apple seems to serve the will of its customers. It recognizes that customers will find a way to get desired content with the least amount of friction possible. With music they adopted the download behavior of their customers, but monetized it in a fashion that replaced existing illegal and non-monetized methods.

Usually industry execs in the “media sphere” tend to come from that world, and see things only through that lens. They view their customers as criminals always trying to find a way to steal from them. Apple views their customers as Gods, because for a very long time they had so few.

This isn’t to say that Apple pulls a Microsoft or HP and focus groups the hell out of a product. Apple makes products they and their families would like to use and be proud of—that’s a focus group with accountability.

Sure Jobs has a bit of a diva complex and an RDF, but in some weird cosmic way, his pride is actually one of his best assets, contagious but not at all toxic. Think about Pixar. Jobs bought the company from George Lucas and hired people who had a passion for telling stories they could be proud of. Pride in the Jobsian sense is something for which you’re willing to put your name on the line and share it with those close to you. I mean, there’s a reason why Pixar ends their credits with a list of “production babies”; Pixar movies are a family affair from conception to completion to consumption.

If only normal CEO pride was this burdened with humility, and not ego[1]. Bill Gates is probably the only other industry exec that gets it. Sadly it didn’t happen with Microsoft (too big to fail?), but you see it every day in Gates’ foundation work. He’s proud of his work, of his team, and the legacy he’s leaving behind.

Simply, pride for these two men can be distilled into the question: “have I helped make the world a better place?”

1. – This, again, is not to say Jobs or Gates lack ego. They have plenty to go around. It’s just used appropriately: to do well by their customers and by their legacy.