Top 10 Business Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Steve Jobs

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There is a lot to learn from successful businessman and entrepreneurs. Every industry has its inspiring stories and journeys of great leaders and experts. One such name that pops up when we talk about setting benchmarks for others to follow in the technology industry is Steve Jobs. With his futuristic vision, experience, and knowledge, he transformed the field of information technology. Famous as the CEO and founder of Apple Inc., Jobs has many notable achievements in his name. Even after years of his death, he continues to be an inspiration for all the budding as well as established entrepreneurs across the globe.

Here are some of his great business lessons that businesses can learn and implement:

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1. Combine Analytical and Emotional Thinking Capabilities

It is a common belief in the tech world that the success of a technology-based business depends on analytical and critical thinking. However, Steve Jobs was different and thought opposite to what others blindly followed. He was of the opinion that any business decision, particularly in the field of technology, depends on both left-brain and right-brain thinking capabilities. According to Jobs, business works seamlessly only when technical and human components are combined and implemented to make decisions. It is because of this emotional and technical connect that Steve Jobs laid the success of his Apple products.

2. Keep it Simple

Steve Jobs preferred keeping things simple even while doing business. His technology products reflect simplicity that consumers find it easy to use and so are popular among the masses. It is because of this philosophy that stands as the basis of iconic designs of Apple’s tech offerings. Businesses must learn from him to keep the products simple. This is because nobody likes to use complicated things. Even in business operations, the simple the process the better is the efficiency in performance.

3. Focus on Products and Not Just Profits

This is one of the greatest learning any business could have from Steve Jobs. While everyone focused on making profits, Steve gave importance to making engaging and useful products. His primary objective was to make customers happy and address their needs. He knew that a happy customer is what will eventually bring profit. Hence, today’s entrepreneurs should also follow a similar path and make a note of the vital business lesson from the ‘Father of the Digital World.’

4. Never Let Criticism Demoralize

Challenges and criticism are part of every business adventure and in life in general. Critics will criticize, but one should not let those words of naysayers impact your work. With similar thought, even Steve Jobs continued making innovations and implementing things that no one could ever imagine. He produced, designed and marketed products that were entirely new and surprising for the technology world. On his journey to making discoveries, many criticisms came his way. However, nothing could leave a negative impact. Every small business owner and entrepreneur should take inspiration from the master of innovation.

5. Pick the Best for Your Business

Steve Jobs had an unapologetic style when it comes to business. He was of the view that companies must hire only the A-level workers who can add to the company’s success. According to him, rather than wasting time in training B or C-level workers to push them to A-level, companies must pick those in A-list at first. Hence, even today’s aspiring businesses should carry forward the same practice to make the best and efficient use of their resource and money.

6. Accept Your Mistakes

It’s not that Jobs didn’t make any mistake. He is also human, and like all others he made mistakes. In spite of being a perfectionist, even he could not avoid mistakes in business. But what is notable and worth learning here is his attitude towards accepting his mistakes. He always acknowledged the errors he made and that helped him to learn and improve. Once his mistake made him lose a quarter of a billion; however he was never hesitant to accept it. This is the kind of attitude every business owner must have as it helps in character-building.

7. Be Unique

Jobs was unique in every way. Be it his thinking, philosophy or the way he carried himself as a CEO; Job had his own style. He was never like a typical CEO in formals. People have always seen him in turtlenecks and jeans. Even though he didn’t fit into the stereotype of how a CEO should be, still he made his own mark. He stopped emulating others and trying to do what others are doing. Both in terms of his personality and product, he didn’t follow the crowd and stood out as unique among all. This is something that is inspiring, and businesses must work towards creating their place in the market like him.

8. Don’t Refrain from Risks

Jobs never stepped back in taking risks or making hard choices. He openly practiced what he believed and did not hesitate to pursue his business goals. Businesses should have a similar mindset and must be ready to take the necessary risks to grow their product portfolio and ensure overall business growth.

9. Believe Your Instincts

Research is essential before launching a business. However, Steve Jobs was of a different opinion as he believed in his guts and instincts more than any analysis. He thought that if he likes something then automatically others will feel the same. That is why most of his innovation and products have been successful because Jobs followed his guts. He had a firm belief in his own taste and choices. All his products are a result of his instinct that worked in his favor.

10. Establish In-person Contacts

Although Jobs was from the technology industry, however, he did not believe in technology when it came to building relationships. He believed in face-to-face meetings with the employees as well as customers. Rather than relying on any technology-driven communication, he wanted to hear directly from the customers. However, his meetings happened in informal ways mostly. He was a person who indulged in informal talks over a walk or a lunch instead of conducting long sessions at the conference room.

11. Work Tirelessly to Grow Further

The launch of the iPhone completely changed the world of telecommunication. However, only a few know about the hardship and behind the story of how the iPhone came into being. At a time when almost the Apple team was near to the final product after working tirelessly for a year, Steve Jobs joined who asked the team to start over again. He did not like the product that the existing team was building and so added further innovation and expertise to it. Till the time he was working, he worked towards making Apple products better than the previous ones. This never giving up attitude and the hunger to grow and keep working better is what entrepreneurs must learn from Steve Jobs.

Conclusion

From igniting innovation in personal computers to gifting the world iPhone, Steve Jobs has done tremendous for the technology industry. Till the time he was alive, he showed how business should be done. If we can follow even a percent of his tactics from his amazing professional journey, we can achieve way better than we are currently.


Author Bio:

Angelina Smith is a marketing consultant with 15 years of experience in the execution of marketing strategies. Currently, she heads marketing department at eSalesData LLC, a renowned database company based out of Fremont, CA which offers customized and pre-built email marketing solutions to improve b2b sales leads for enterprises.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/esalesdata

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