Steve Jobs Built Apple on Profound Advice from His Dad: ‘He Loved Doing Things Right’
While some fathers teach their kids how to shoot three-pointers or make hamburgers, Paul Jobs imparted a different lesson to his son, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. In Mountain View, California, Paul taught Steve how to build a fence around their home, a process that instilled in him a meticulous attention to detail.
This detail-oriented mindset became a cornerstone of Steve Jobs’ approach at Apple. According to Jobs’ biographer, Walter Isaacson, during an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” in 2011, Paul advised his son, “You’ve got to make the back of the fence, that nobody will see, just as good looking as the front of the fence. Even though nobody will see it, you will know, and that will show that you’re dedicated to making something perfect.”
This principle of ensuring perfection in every aspect, even those unseen by others, significantly influenced Jobs’ philosophy and practices at Apple, contributing to the company’s reputation for excellence and innovation.