2023-07-16 15:00:32
Steve Jobs e Elon Musk are two of the biggest names in technological and business innovation of our time. Each of them has/had a unique approach, business vision, innovative profile and impact. Both managed to transform their respective fields, but they did so in very different ways.
Obviously, any comparison is imperfect and awakens the passions of fans, but in this article I tried to analyze the two icons in terms of practical aspects related to their performance.
Leadership
Steve Jobs was known for his controversial, demanding, and often abrasive leadership style. He demanded absolute excellence from his team and would settle for nothing less than perfection.
His approach was authoritative, with a clear focus on the product vision. This style of leadership, if you can call it “leadership” at all, has allowed him to build Apple into one of the most successful companies in the world, but it has also earned him criticism for his toughness. Perhaps a more humane leader would not have brought about such interesting innovations, but he would certainly have hurt fewer people.
In contrast, Elon Musk apparently has a more collaborative leadership style. He is known for working shoulder to shoulder with his teams, often jumping in the trenches to resolve technical issues. Musk is also demanding, but his style seems more like a teammate pushing for shared success rather than the dictatorial style that Jobs often employed.
On the other hand, Tesla’s founder had very debatable behaviors, such as mass layoffs without concern for people, coercive policies when taking over Twitter, unfounded criticism of remote work and apology for unbridled and uncontrolled work.
business vision
Jobs’s business vision focused on the intersection of technology and art. He sought to create products that not only incorporated the latest technology, but were also aesthetically pleasing and easy to use. Apple under Jobs was meticulous about design, and that attention to detail helped define the brand.
For Jobs, it was preferable to sacrifice usability for beauty in his products. This profile made its devices fascinating, but from time to time it generated some cost problems for the company and even use, such as the famous iPhone 4 antenna case.
Musk’s business vision is more focused on solving global problems through technology. Whether he’s trying to make transportation greener with Tesla, revolutionize digital payments with PayPal, or colonize Mars with SpaceX, Musk is always trying to push the boundaries of technology to solve humanity’s biggest challenges.
It seems less close to the product and closer to its ultimate broad benefit. This way of seeing diminishes their focus and, in many cases, their effectiveness, leading to illogical and compromising decisions — such as the purchase of Twitter or the supply problems faced by Tesla.
innovative profile
Both Jobs and Musk are incredible innovators.
Jobs was responsible for a number of innovations, including the Macintosh, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad. Each of these products revolutionized their respective markets. Creating products that could revolutionize the market, empower people and surprise with their ease of use were the Apple co-founder’s obsessions.
Musk, however, is an innovator in multiple fields. From electric cars to reusable rockets, to high-speed tunnels and brain implants, Musk is constantly pushing the boundaries of technological innovation. Apparently, for him, innovation is worth more for yes that where it is located. While this behavior increases your relative breadth, it decreases your ability to build consistently and sequentially.
Impact
The impact of Jobs and Musk is indisputable.
Jobs transformed the way we interact with technology, making it an integral part of our daily lives. He made technology beautiful and desirable, not just useful. Not to mention that he saw, before anyone else of his time, that computers would become part of people’s daily and common lives, so much so that he created a true pocket computer with the iPhone.
Musk is trying to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Whether it’s changing the way we move with Tesla and the Hyperloop, redefining humanity’s future with SpaceX’s Mars colonization project, or working on human-AI interaction with Neuralink, Musk is shaping the future in ways that few others are capable. Probably his taunts will play a world-changing role for a long time to come.
Conclusion
Both leaders are known for their bold vision, willingness to take risks and relentless pursuit of innovation. However, their approaches to leadership, innovation and business acumen are fundamentally different.
Jobs was more product-focused, while Musk is more focused on solving global problems; Jobs was an aesthetic dictator, while Musk is a pragmatic contributor.
It should also be noted that Jobs would hardly engage or speak out as much in the political field as Musk does. Steve, although megalomaniac, vain and self-centered, was discreet when taking a position on topics beyond his area of expertise, although he was controversial when pronouncing about technology, innovation and especially his competitors and products.
A curiosity I carry is about how the two leaders would relate if Jobs had not died prematurely. Could the two be friends? Did Musk seek out Jobs as a mentor? Were they opponents, making controversial statements about each other? That, unfortunately, we will never know.
In the end, both Jobs and Musk have their own unique styles of leadership and innovation. Each left an indelible mark on the world of technology and entrepreneurship — and both will continue to influence future generations of innovators.
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