“The only people who change the world are those crazy enough to think they can”
Two of the greatests products of this century were founded by two singular charactors, just crazy enough. Loved hated, revered, controversial and shockingly similar, Steve Jobs and Johan Cruyff changed the world.
Apple computers and Barcelona (total football) soccer are the two of the greatest products of this and last century. The two influential figures that shaped them bear striking similarities:
- Both were prodigies, coming early into their chosen passions.
- Both started off as cocky loudmouths that turned people off.
- Both were speaking the truth--which grudgingly kept their friends from totally abandoning them.
- Both were pushed out of the organization they created and loved (Jobs Apple, Cruyff Ajax).
- Both recovered to achieve their masterpiece.
What lessons do they teach us about building the next great thing? Their own quotes point to common themes:
Build a solid strategy on decision making
| Johann Cruyff | Steve Jobs |
| "Before I make a mistake, I see it coming and then don’t make it." | Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do. |
Strive for Simplicity
| Johann Cruyff | Steve Jobs |
| "Playing football is very simple, but playing simple football is the hardest thing there is." | "Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple." |
Don’t be afraid to Lead the way
| Johann Cruyff | Steve Jobs |
| "I am convinced that you have to do it like I do. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing it this way…" | “…People don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” |
Stand by your vision
| Johann Cruyff | Steve Jobs |
| “Live and die by your own ideas” | “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life….Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition." |
Take a circumspect worldview
| Johann Cruyff | Steve Jobs |
| “Every advantage has its disadvantage" | "There are downsides to everything; there are unintended consequences to everything." |
Embrace the unknown
| Johann Cruyff | Steve Jobs |
| “The hardest thing for players and humans is to understand that there is nothing to understand… " | “The system is that there is no system.” |
Don't dumb down the message
| Johann Cruyff | Steve Jobs |
| “You can understand it, once you get it.” | “How does somebody know what they want if they haven’t even seen it?" |
Start with yourself
| Johann Cruyff | Steve Jobs |
| “Life is all about working to become the best possible version of yourself." | “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.” |
Seek Functional perfection
| Johann Cruyff | Steve Jobs |
| “The object is to run as little as possible, not as much as possible" | “Design is not just what it looks and feel like, design is how it works." |
Drive toward perfection
| Johann Cruyff | Steve Jobs |
| “That's what we learned [at Ajax]. You tried something, that didn’t work for that [reason] and that. Do it again. Do something different." | I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what’s next.” |
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