This post continues the series of highlights from this year’s Leadercast.
I do not recall ever hearing Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak (“Woz”) speak before. What impressed me even more than his comments was how enthusiastically passionate he remains, even after all of his success. His take on the driving force of inventor entrepreneurs was particularly interesting, too. Here are a few notes from Chris Barez-Brown’s interview of Steve Wozniak.
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- The hardest thing about being a start-up is having a good idea and not knowing if it will sell.
- Inventors often invent because they are trying to solve a problem for themselves. i.e., Elon Musk wanted a family car for himself, Woz wanted a computer for himself, Steve Jobs wanted the internet a phone for himself.
- When asked “How do you know you’ve had a good day?”, Woz shared two formulas for happiness:
- H=S-F which represents Happiness equals Smiles minus Frowns. If you smile more than you frown over the course of a day, it’s been a good one.
- H=F3 which represents Happiness equals Food, Fun, and Friends.
- When asked for three things that made him successful, Woz offered:
- mostly luck
- the drive to think outside the box
- understanding that the user is the most important
- To be a better leader, be honest and be open to ideas that are not yours.
Next week: CMDR Rorke Denver’s Trident Takeaways
Previous 2016 Leadercast notes:
- May 10, Andy Stanley on clarity and vision
- May 17, Kat Cole on perspective and priorities
- May 24, James Brown on teams
- May 31, Nick Saban on what it takes to win
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