“When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back.”
- February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011
- American
- Entrepreneur, businessman, industrial designer
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Quote
“When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back.”
Explanation
In this quote, Steve Jobs emphasizes the importance of attention to detail and integrity in craftsmanship, even in areas that are not immediately visible or recognized by others. He uses the example of a carpenter building a chest of drawers, where, despite the back of the chest facing the wall and being unseen, the carpenter chooses to use quality wood because they take pride in their work and understand that true excellence comes from doing things properly, regardless of whether others will notice.
Jobs often applied this mindset to Apple’s design and development processes, ensuring that every aspect of a product, even the ones that customers might never directly interact with, was made with care and precision. This philosophy extended to the internal components of Apple products, where Apple was known for not cutting corners on things like the design of the internal circuit boards or the build quality of the device, regardless of whether these elements were visible to the user.
This quote is a reminder that quality is not just about what is seen on the surface, but also about the work done behind the scenes. It highlights the idea that the true value of craftsmanship comes from a commitment to excellence in every part of the process, even those that may seem inconsequential. In the modern world, this approach continues to influence industries that prioritize integrity and perfection, ensuring that their products are built to last and perform beautifully, inside and out.
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