Steve Jobs and The Value of Saying No
The crowd applauded this bout of honesty, and Mr. Jobs continued. "You look at the farm that's been created with all these different animals going in different directions and it doesn't add up. The total is less than the sum of the parts. We had to decide: what are the fundamental directions we're going in?"With the gauntlet thrown, Mr. Jobs headed into deeper, metaphysical territory. "The hardest thing is, when you think about focusing, focusing is saying, yes, no, "he said, walking backwards as his argument changed direction, his hands splayed out wide. "Focusing is about saying no. Focusing is about saying no," he repeated, as scattered applause breaks out.Jobs was not only reasserting himself, he was setting the stage for the way he would run the company for the next decade and half. He was articulating the essential vision, which he returned to again. "Focus is about saying no. And the result of that focus is going to be some really great products. Where the total is much greater than the sum of the parts."