• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Farnam Street Logo

Farnam Street

Mastering the best of what other people have already figured out

  • Newsletter
  • Books
  • Podcast
  • Articles
  • Log In
  • Become a Member

Steve Jobs

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Innovation doesn’t occur in a vacuum. Doers and thinkers from Shakespeare to Jobs, liberally “stole” inspiration from the doers and thinkers who came before. Here’s how to do it right. *** “If I have …

Continue readingStanding on the Shoulders of Giants

The Importance of Working With “A” Players

Stop me if this sounds familiar. There is a person who toils alone for years in relative obscurity before finally cracking the code to become a hero. The myth of the lone genius. It’s the stuff …

Continue readingThe Importance of Working With “A” Players

Intuition vs. Rationality: Where One Stops the Other Starts

Here’s an interesting passage from Anne Lamott, found in Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, that requires some consideration. You get your intuition back when you make space …

Continue readingIntuition vs. Rationality: Where One Stops the Other Starts

The Iconic Think Different Apple Commercial Narrated by Steve Jobs

Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… …

Continue readingThe Iconic Think Different Apple Commercial Narrated by Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs on Creativity

“Originality depends on new and striking combinations of ideas.” — Rosamund Harding In a beautiful article for The Atlantic, Nancy Andreasen, a neuroscientist who has spent decades …

Continue readingSteve Jobs on Creativity

Steve Jobs 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

“Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” If you were to make a list of the best commencement addresses ever, you’d find this one from Steve Jobs up there with the likes of David Foster Wallace, …

Continue readingSteve Jobs 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

Edward Tufte on Cognitive Load and Picasso

“The world is much more interesting than any one discipline.” — Edward Tufte *** NPR’s Science Friday talks with data scientist Edward Tufte on everything from Steve Jobs’ considerations of …

Continue readingEdward Tufte on Cognitive Load and Picasso

An Introduction to Creativity

Professor Sanjay Bakshi teaches MBA students “Behavioral Finance & Business Valuation (BFBV)” and “Financial Shenanigans & Governance” at MDI, Gurgaon. He was kind enough to put together a …

Continue readingAn Introduction to Creativity

Insanely Simple

I learned quite a lot about organizational culture while reading Ken Segall’s Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple’s Success. Segall worked closely with Steve Jobs as an ad agency …

Continue readingInsanely Simple

Simplicity’s Best Friend: Small Groups of Smart People

More brains don’t necessarily lead to better ideas. When it came to leading meetings, Steve Jobs had no qualms about tossing the least necessary person out of the room. An excerpt from Insanely …

Continue readingSimplicity’s Best Friend: Small Groups of Smart People

Are People Thinking Less Than They Used To?

Some insightful comments by Steve Jobs on the information economy. Jobs argues that television is causing us to think less than we used to. We live in an information economy, but I don’t believe …

Continue readingAre People Thinking Less Than They Used To?

Steve Jobs on Design

Steve Jobs with an interesting perspective on what design means Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works. …

Continue readingSteve Jobs on Design

What did Steve Jobs Read?

I’ve always wondered just what influenced Steve Jobs thinking? Walter Isaacson‘s biography of Steve Jobs provides an unprecedented look at not only Steve Jobs life but the books which …

Continue readingWhat did Steve Jobs Read?

Steve Jobs on the Destination We All Share

Continue readingSteve Jobs on the Destination We All Share

The Focus to Say No

The difference between average and exceptional results is found in the things you don’t do. Everyone can say yes to great opportunities, but only someone focused will say no to average …

Continue readingThe Focus to Say No

Discover What You’re Missing

Get the weekly email full of actionable ideas and insights you can use at work and home.


As seen on:

New York Times logo
Wall Street Journal logo
The Economist logo
Financial Times logo
Farnam Street Logo

© 2025 Farnam Street Media Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Proudly powered by WordPress. Hosted by Pressable. See our Privacy Policy.

  • About
  • Sponsorship
  • Support
  • Speaking

We’re Syrus Partners.
We buy amazing businesses.


Farnam Street participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising commissions by linking to Amazon.