
Steve Jobs on how The Beatles influenced his approach to business (2003) [video] - DoreenMichele
https://twitter.com/JonErlichman/status/1190769795047854082
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jonplackett
I think saying it influenced his approach is overstatement. He’s just using
them as an analogy for something he already believed.

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sytelus
It didn't looked that way to me. I think his advice is right on the dot if you
were doing startup and finding co-founder. The best co-founder you might find
is the one who _multiplies_ your capabilities as opposed to merely _adds_ to
yours (or in worst case subtracts from yours). For example, Wozniak alone
couldn't have taken Apple to where it is and same goes for Jobs. Without each
other, they would be at best some "10x engineer/salesman" in some company and
forgotten. It is important to find partner who fills in the gaps (and vice
versa) such that entire puzzle unlocks.

~~~
navigatesol
> _It is important to find partner who fills in the gaps (and vice versa) such
> that entire puzzle unlocks._

Yes, it is important.

It is also generic Silicon Valley advice, of which there is no evidence that
anyone can actually do it successfully ahead of starting a business, nor do we
know how valuable it actually is.

Are the SV darlings flailing because the founders were unable to "find good
partners", or did the businesses suck?

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iamgopal
Finding good partner is as impossible as finding your passion. You may find it
or you may not. I don't think there ever was how-to. Keep searching.

~~~
bumblebee4
Shouldn't this be: Keep looking?

Because searching is looking for something in an algorithmic way?

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ronilan
I bet that if you ask Tim Cook he’d say Genesis. Great when led by Peter
Gabriel but even better when led by Phil Collins.

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tabtab
I've also read that Steve admired how the Beatles were willing to experiment
and change styles to keep up or even stay ahead of the competition. They
refused to settle. Despite rocketing on the charts via "hold-hands" teenage
dating tunes, they were also early experimenters in psychedelic rock, perhaps
even helping to shape it to what it became. They also pivoted to a more heavy
blues-ish style later in the decade as the bass-driven "heavy metal" sound
grew in strength.

And I do agree with Job's statement that the Beatles "kept each other in
check". Paul was a bit to sun-shiney at times, and John too sarcastic or
wondering. When they intermixed and made sure they each glued or included
these together in the right amount, their music was better. It was a yin-and-
yang balance.

Jobs also admired Bob Dylan's bravery for moving from acoustic to electric
guitar despite many fans grumbling, calling him a "sellout". Job's allegedly
had a recording of fans booing Dylan's new electric guitar during a
performance, and responding to the angry fans by yelling at a stage worker to
"turn it up!" on the amplifier. Intentionally ticking off fans is a big risk
in a music career. (Jobs didn't attend the concert, but collected bootleg
tapes as a hobby.)

That definitely sounds like a Job's-style move, being he was known to remove
features on devices that he felt would soon be obsolete despite market
ubiquity. Whether those music artist incidences influenced Jobs or merely
cemented his tendencies is hard to say. It seems he made an effort to learn
from the masters, though. The fast-changing music industry mirrors many
aspects of rapid technology change.

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flywithdolp
“The total was greater than the sum of the parts” -Steve Jobs on The Beatles

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Jamwinner
Does anyone have a non-Twitter link? I choose to avoid that platform for
ethical and mental health reasons. Thanks.

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kresten
That's where he stole the company name from.

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choxi
I knew about the Apple Corp and the trademark issues with Apple, but somehow I
didn't know The Beatles owned Apple Corp
([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Corps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Corps)).

I heard a rumor the other day that the company name "Apple" comes from Alan
Turing's method of suicide. Appropriating it from The Beatles seems more
likely now.

~~~
sysbin
Alan Turing lived in an era where being murdered was arguably more probable
for him than suicide (hard to know what happened). The name Apple being
derived from the death of Turing is unlikely nonetheless.

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corporateslave5
This guy was just a person.

~~~
mpfundstein
Every famous/great man was/is just a person. What’s your point?

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tonyedgecombe
I remember when Jobs died every single post on the front page of HN was about
him. Yet a week later when Dennis Ritchie died it was hardly mentioned.

Perhaps he is over venerated.

~~~
jackweirdy
Dennis Ritchies death was not “hardly mentioned” — there were sizeable obits
even in the mainstream press and it goes without saying HN discussed his
legacy too across multiple days and weeks:

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3105526](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3105526)

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3106222](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3106222)

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3107244](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3107244)

[https://hn.algolia.com/?q=dennis+ritchie](https://hn.algolia.com/?q=dennis+ritchie)

[https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/oct/13/dennis-
ri...](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/oct/13/dennis-ritchie)

[https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/14/technology/dennis-
ritchie...](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/14/technology/dennis-ritchie-
programming-trailblazer-dies-at-70.html)

~~~
fireattack
[https://news.ycombinator.com/front?day=2011-10-13](https://news.ycombinator.com/front?day=2011-10-13)
this link probably works better

