“I don’t think I’ve ever worked so hard on something, but working on Macintosh was the neatest experience of my life. Almost everyone who worked on it will say that. None of us wanted to release it at the end. It was as though we knew that once it was out of our hands, it wouldn’t be ours anymore.”
- February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011
- American
- Entrepreneur, businessman, industrial designer
- He brought to the world revolutionary products that combined technology and design at a high level, such as the personal computer Macintosh, iPhone, and iPad, and also revolutionized the music industry with the iPod, iTunes, and iTunes Store.
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Quote
“I don’t think I’ve ever worked so hard on something, but working on Macintosh was the neatest experience of my life. Almost everyone who worked on it will say that. None of us wanted to release it at the end. It was as though we knew that once it was out of our hands, it wouldn’t be ours anymore.”
Explanation
In this quote, Steve Jobs reflects on the intense dedication and passion that went into creating the Macintosh, one of Apple’s most iconic products. Jobs acknowledges that while the team worked incredibly hard on the project, it was also an incredibly rewarding and meaningful experience. The emotional attachment the team had to the Macintosh is evident in their reluctance to release it—once the product was out in the world, it would no longer belong to the creators. The team had invested so much of themselves into the design, development, and vision of the product that the thought of it being publicly available felt like losing a piece of their own creation.
This sentiment speaks to the pride and personal connection that Apple employees had with the Macintosh, and it exemplifies Jobs’ philosophy that creating a product should not only be about delivering a result, but about creating something that is meaningful and transformative. For Jobs, the Macintosh was more than just a piece of technology; it represented a vision for how computers could empower individuals and change the way people interacted with technology.
In today’s world, this quote remains relevant for anyone working on a creative project or innovative product. It highlights the importance of passion and ownership in the work we do. Jobs’ experience with the Macintosh reminds us that when we invest ourselves deeply into a project, it becomes part of us—and when we share it with the world, we are giving away not just a product, but a piece of our creativity and vision.
