Lessons from a Visionary: Steve Jobs

What’s up, Hard Knocks community! 🚀 

It's time for our first session here at the School of Hard Knocks, where we cut through the fluff and bring you the real-deal insights to help you level up in life, business, and beyond. Strap in, because this week's newsletter is packed with wisdom, inspiration, and actionable tips from the frontlines of success.

Today’s Schedule

• Lessons From A Visionary: A view into the timeless business & branding lessons from the legendary Steve Jobs

• Expert Insights: Tech CEO Shares his perspective on how the Apple Vision Pro will impact Entrepreneurship

• Free Game: Impactful Life Lessons from Finance Millionaire Tony Stephens

• From the Hard Knocks Library: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

• In Case You Missed It: See our Latest Podcast & YouTube Video

Let's get to it 🔥

Lessons From A Visionary

This week we are highlighting Steve Jobs, the visionary behind Apple. 

Co-founding Apple Inc. in a garage with Steve Wozniak in 1976, Jobs introduced groundbreaking products like the Macintosh, iPod, iPhone, and iPad, revolutionizing personal computing, music consumption, and mobile communication. His keen sense of design and relentless pursuit of perfection set Apple apart, shaping the company's identity as a symbol of innovation and elegance.

However, Jobs' journey wasn't without its challenges. In 1985, he was ousted from Apple following a power struggle, only to return in 1997 and orchestrate one of the most remarkable turnarounds in corporate history. His triumphant return saw the launch of iconic products like the iMac and the resurgence of Apple as a global powerhouse.

Jobs' legacy as a disruptive force in technology, coupled with his resilience in the face of adversity, continues to inspire entrepreneurs and innovators worldwide.

So what can we learn from Steve Jobs?

Simplicity Sells: Job’s believed in the power of simplicity. He recognized that true genius lies not in complexity but in simplicity - This philosophy permeated every aspect of Apple's products, from their sleek hardware designs to their intuitive user interfaces, setting them apart from competitors and creating a loyal fan base.

Treat Your Brand as an Experience: Jobs understood that brand is more than just a logo or a product, it’s an experience where you should strive to create a connection with your consumers. From its minimalist product packaging to its sleek device designs, Apple has cultivated a brand identity that exudes premium quality and attention to detail. The use of white as a predominant color reflects purity, simplicity, and a focus on the essentials, aligning with Apple's ethos of creating intuitive, user-friendly technology.

Apple's branding extends beyond its physical products to its ecosystem of services, with iMessage being a standout example. iMessage has become a key component of Apple's ecosystem, offering seamless messaging and communication capabilities across its devices. By integrating iMessage with other Apple services and devices, such as iCloud and the iPhone, Apple creates a compelling user experience that fosters brand loyalty and encourages users to stay within the Apple ecosystem.

Additionally, Apple leverages the concept of switching costs to further solidify its brand loyalty. By offering a cohesive ecosystem of products and services that work seamlessly together, Apple makes it challenging for users to switch to competitors' offerings without sacrificing convenience or functionality. This creates a "lock-in" effect, where users are more likely to remain loyal to Apple due to the perceived value and integration of its ecosystem, further reinforcing the strength of the Apple brand.

Think Different and Have the Courage to Innovate: One of Jobs' most notable qualities was his relentless pursuit of innovation. He possessed an unparalleled vision for the future of technology, often foreseeing trends and needs long before they became apparent to others.

Jobs was not content with simply improving existing products; he sought to create entirely new experiences that would resonate with consumers on a profound level. This drive led to groundbreaking innovations such as the Macintosh computer, iPod, iPhone, and iPad, each of which redefined their respective markets and set new standards for design and functionality.

Our Favorite (And honestly most iconic) Steve Jobs video:

You can grab your copy of Steve Jobs: A Biography by Walter Isaacson below in our From the Hard Knocks Library section🔥

Expert Insights

Since its recent launch, the Apple Vision Pro has sparked a range of reactions from the public, drawing attention to its innovative design and functionality. While not the first mixed reality headset on the market, the Vision Pro has garnered significant media interest, particularly for its futuristic features. Users are divided in their opinions, with some expressing fascination while others remain skeptical about its integration into daily life and its implications for technology-dependent lifestyles.

The Apple Vision Pro was released on February 2nd, priced at $3,499. Despite its cost, the Vision Pro stands as Apple's first major product release since the Apple Watch, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of technology and entrepreneurship.

To get further insight on how the Apple Vision Pro will impact entrepreneurship, we asked Renji Bijoy, CEO and Founder of Immersed - the most used VR application on the planet and developer of the Visor Mixed Reality Headset.

How is a device like the Apple Vision Pro or Immersed Visor going to impact the way entrepreneurs build companies?

Just like how the internet created the first solo millionaires and made wealth creation more attainable, the Metaverse + AI augmentation is going to make the first solo billionaires with an even greater order of magnitude of wealth creation because we'll no longer be bound by time or location.

Is this something that entrepreneurs can adopt now to use in their business or does their still need to be time for this market to grow?

Yes, people are already using Immersed today to build their businesses and network with others.

Your company developed an immersive mixed reality headset as well called Visor. How does that product compare to the Apple Vision Pro?

We actually made a YouTube video on this topic. Only thing I'd add is that the Vision Pro, though impressive tech, is super heavy (1.5lbs on your nose) and overly expensive. It's a really expensive toy at best. That's why we're making Visor. Less expensive, 1/4th the weight, and looks good enough to wear in public.

To see a more in-depth conversation with Renji Bijoy, you can check out our full podcast at The School of Hard Knocks Podcast below.

Words of Wisdom

Free Game

While filming for our Texas Millionaires Video in Highland Park Village, Dallas, Texas, we had the privilege of interviewing Tony Stephens, a finance millionaire who left us with one of the most fascinating pieces of life advice we had ever heard. He took out a measuring strip (numbered 1 to 100) that he had in his car and compared it to the years of a human life. After tearing off parts of the strip, he symbolically marked the passing years, highlighting that with each tear of the strip is time that we will never get back. This lesson, along with other business advice from Tony, helped us see the importance of cherishing each moment and living purposefully.

Lessons from our interview with Tony Stephens:

1. Every day is a gift, live each day as a life in miniature.

Tony emphasized the preciousness of time and how we truly never know how much time we have left on this Earth. If we live life on the sidelines, we will look back and realize that the time that has already passed we will never get back. View each day as a life of its own and live it to the fullest.

Action Item: Start each day with intentionality. Set aside a few moments for reflection, expressing gratitude for the gift of another day, and outlining specific goals or priorities to make the most of your time. Journaling is a great way to make this a habit.

2. You get rich with your thoughts and ideas, not by working with your hands.

Tony challenged conventional notions of wealth, highlighting the importance of intellectual capital. He emphasized that true riches stem from the power of our thoughts and ideas, rather than physical labor alone. Warren Buffett often talks about choosing the right “vehicle” is the way to create wealth. There are people that work hard at a minimum wage job but that vehicle while most likely never make them wealthy. Often times, wealth is in the heart of the idea.

Action Item: Set time aside to think bigger and be creative. Bill Gates would often take “Think Weeks” while running Microsoft to just brainstorm ideas for the company and evaluate how they were operating things. Spend time away from technology, take a step back, and see how you can improve your current vehicle. It would also help to dedicate time in your week to expand your knowledge, whether through reading, attending seminars, or engaging in meaningful conversations. This ultimately will lead to you developing sharper ideas during your “thinking” time.

3. Rich people hire people, and poor people don't.

Tony shed light on the concept of leverage and collaboration. He highlighted the importance of surrounding oneself with a team of talented individuals who can amplify our efforts and multiply our impact. By embracing the power of delegation and collaboration, we can leverage our resources more effectively and achieve greater success in both our personal and professional endeavors. The entrepreneurs that built billion dollar companies didn’t do it alone.

Action Item: Embrace the power of leverage. Often times as entrepreneurs, we want to have control of everything within our business, but the common phrase remains true…”If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to far, go together.” Identify areas in your life or business where you can delegate tasks or seek assistance to amplify your efforts. If you don’t have the means to hire people, work to get to a place where you can or get creative on how you can partner with people to do certain tasks.

From the Hard Knocks Library

In Case You Missed It

In our most Recent Podcast we sat down with Chris Watters - CEO & Founder of Real Estate Brokerage Watters International Realty. In this podcast Chris takes us through his journey as an entrepreneur sharing stories of his bar business getting evicted all the way to where he is now with a real estate company that does multiple 9-figures a year. This podcast is full of golden nuggets that any entrepreneur or real estate professional can use to take their career to the next level.

We interviewed yacht owners all over Miami, Florida in our most recent YouTube video asking them how they got rich. We asked them about the most amount of money they have made in a year as well as asking for their career/life advice. We interviewed people in a variety of industries such as Health Care, Entertainment, E-commerce, and Entrepreneurship.