Steve Jobs
Test your knowledge with 45 questions across 3 challenge tiers
Master These Concepts
Review these key terms before taking the quiz
Reality Distortion Field
Steve Jobs's ability to convince himself and others that seemingly impossible things were achievable through sheer force of will
Engineers would say a task was impossible but Jobs would insist it could be done and often they would find a way
Insanely Great
Jobs's standard for products – they had to be not just good or even great but revolutionary and extraordinary
Jobs rejected designs and features that were merely excellent demanding products that would change everything
End-to-End Integration
Apple's philosophy of controlling both hardware and software to create a seamless user experience
Unlike PC manufacturers Apple designed the chips operating system and applications to work together perfectly
Simplicity
The design principle of removing unnecessary complexity to create products that are intuitive and elegant
The iPod's single wheel interface eliminated dozens of buttons found on competing MP3 players
A Players
Top talent that Jobs believed should be surrounded only by other top talent to maintain excellence
Jobs believed that A players want to work with other A players and that B players hire C players degrading quality
Product Person vs Sales Person
Jobs's distinction between leaders who focus on making great products versus those focused on marketing and revenue
Jobs blamed Apple's decline in the 1990s on sales-focused leadership that neglected product innovation
Select a Quiz Tier
Complete each tier to unlock the next and earn your badges.
Fundamentals
TIER 1 • READER BADGE
Deep Dive
TIER 2 • SCHOLAR BADGE
Expert
TIER 3 • MASTER BADGE
