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WSJ Personal Technology Columnist Walt Mossberg on the qualities that made Apple Co-founder Steve Jobs a visionary.
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-- wall how are you.
I'm okay dig and how are you great wall that column that you rather than just with some memories of Steve Jobs was so incredibly moving.
And I wanted to know what was may be that don't.
One thing if you could pick one thing that you know about Steve that other people probably do not.
Well.
I don't know if there's any one thing I know that other people don't because of course He knew a lot of other people.
But in terms of the general public.
You know I think.
I think it was.
This odd sense of optimism and serenity.
That He had a bad things.
Even when the company was in trouble.
It could be that He was frantic if certain moments in certain settings but with me.
I always got the sense even when we had a long talk about a difficult.
Problem or a tricky situations that.
He had a deep sense.
Of optimism and of of confidence that over time.
If you thought about it carefully -- -- executed well you could get it done.
He was not one of these CEOs.
That we hear about all the time.
Who managed for the quarter.
Who manage for -- stock price next week you just shouldn't do that.
He was thinking about where we gonna be in two years where we going to be in three years where we're gonna be next year.
And I think maybe that's something that people wouldn't have been able to pick up from its public appearances.
It's one of the things.
That does make a mature historical figure that you know it's not an overstatement to put him in the same breath with somebody alike Thomas Edison which is amazing when people look back on it.
Many years from now as you said in your column but one of the more amazing things to -- it was actually the first to.
Bring this up on got -- thinking about it is or or the accomplishments that He had after.
He was sick after He was diagnosed with cancer and He spoke about it and a lot of people have played or -- -- Read its famous speech at Stanford in 2005.
Like to you and you know I'm personally did -- change.
After being diagnosed with cancer.
Well obviously physically changed yet yeah I think you've got even more reflective.
And even more of -- if I can if I can state of that serenity I don't mean He lost his edge I'm sure you can talk to people who.
You know were really mad -- him about some negotiation that was really difficult and He was really stubborn about as recently as six or nine months ago.
So He didn't loses edge.
But I do think He began to gain.
A different perspective -- any of us would.
Surviving something like that multiple things that He survived.
Until you just couldn't and longer.
And I don't know what I'm about say for sure but I also think in the last year or eighteen months.
I think He began to.
Really work.
Hard at cementing.
Sort of the apple DNA and the company.
And at building out there are planning and thinking.
Even farther out than -- typically did which as they just said I think is.
Farther out than a lot of companies so that the people He was leaving behind and it's a strong team.
Would be able to.
Continue to execute on on on a forward plan.
Want it what it.
How would you describe his ability to see -- of the future or see the future and see the tech industry with the hours and hours.
That you spent in conversation with him because people use the word.
Visionary very often.
When describing him but how would -- a distant if you could put that in perspective for us.
About how he's -- it was on when He took apple when He went back to -- when 1997.
What He created with.
-- and National Mall looking back.
Well that's right I mean -- you know.
Dig I have to tell you that.
I was.
Amazed a lot of the time and -- and -- -- up fairly grizzled.
Old journalist who's met with lots of important.
And admirable people.
Who.
You know has been learning all my life from people -- covered.
But with jobs I was.
Just amazed a lot of times He would just calmly sit there.
You know we were off the record and and I don't want you to think He leaked all these products to be long time in advance He really did but.
You make observations about where things were going and where He thought.
Apple and the industry ought to go and what.
How the public would be getting educated are conducting business or.
Running their social and family lives -- would make these options nations that.
I just hadn't heard before He would make them with this.
As I said before sense of confidence.
That just -- -- Wei and I I can't explain how He did that he's just one of those people comes along once in awhile.
Who had.
You know a feeling in his gut.
Executed invalidated by a very smart team around him He didn't do these things all by himself.
But He had that vision that -- visionaries way over used to used to describe all kinds of people.
He really was one yeah and it and and and and He did He did have that uncanny ability.
Because He knew what we want to add before we did which is really did not that many people.
That can say that they did that is so that truth there was a quote attributed to him that it's not the customers job to know what they want and need me He knew.
What people want and apparently before they get -- let me ask you finally Walt.
When the history books and you know they won't be a book and a bag -- -- -- -- -- will be read on an -- as -- you know as we will -- many of -- read about his.
His death when those are written and you know fifty -- years from now there's kids learning about Steve Jobs.
-- -- think that that'll be most remembered then and what will people talk about then.
Well.
It's pretty hard you know how people look back and and a hundred years from I'm not sure Edison.
Would approve of as much as we all admire about the exactly the ways -- now but.
But you know.
Here's where look it it.
Most people even -- famous rich people.
Maybe get to change things in the world once in their career.
In his case if He had just done the apple two computer.
Which cemented and popularize the idea that we can all have a computer.
That would've been enough.
Very few people get to do 456.
Fundamental -- changing things in their lives and you know whether it's rescuing a company whether it's people forget.
He built Pixar have a completely different business.
Come and any you know He used to do it He would work for days a week as CEO -- I would say well how do you -- time to run this movie studio we said if I do that on Friday's.
-- -- So hope so.
You know He did 456.
Game changing things.
You know this thing.
Is a game changing thing.
There are plenty of other good Smartphones.
There are people prefer them to this there are people who prefer this to them they all were spawned from this.
So I think that's what history books will look at it.
As as a genius and as -- one of these once in a lifetime characters who comes along.
And I think also is quintessentially American I don't mean to sound.
You know sort of Xena phobic here but.
This is one of those only in America thinks that because there aren't smart people and every country there are.
But all the conditions that were allow you -- take those ideas and do them.
You know that's an American thing and and he's an American hero in that sense.
Walton and we'll leave it that thank you so much it was great to talk -- -- always but particularly today Walt Mossberg on the Wall Street tanks they well along.
