In the recent weeks, reading Steve Jobs’ biography, and several recent stories about Apple’s [success][Joswiak] in desgining for markets that don’t exist, there’s clear emphasis on one word: No. It’s a mantra in many cases for Apple in how they operate: No, we will not answer your questions; No, we will not make twenty products when one will do; No, we will not ask the customer what’s best for them because even they don’t know what’s best for them.
No, No, No.
I think it’s very easy to get hung up on that lone two letter word and start ascribing special meaning to it. It’s easy to get trapped into thinking that by the mere act of saying “No” you drive yourself toward greater success. It’s easy to say we can’t make this work, let’s try something else. It’s easy to say no let’s not do this because it can’t be done.
In no small part, it is about saying no, but more importantly, it’s about saying no to the things that don’t matter. No isn’t some mystical power; it’s merely a way to avoid compromising on what you believe in.
Sometimes, avoiding compromises means saying yes, too. Because without a yes or too, we don’t create amazing things, we don’t identify what matters most to us, we don’t understand what we can’t do without.
Say no to boring things. Say yes to impossible ones. Never stop asking yourself which is which. Always keep what matters most close to your heart.
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