What happens when you bite into an appleAnything is possible if you have the willpower to pursue your goal

One day, when I have the opportunity to travel around California, I would love to go to Los Altos, a small town in the San Francisco Bay area, on the western edge of Silicon Valley, and visit the unassuming house where Steve Jobs spent his childhood. This is where he and his friend Steve Wozniak founded Apple in 1976. The house is already a historical monument, but Jobs' message and vision keep resonating.

When Steve Jobs gave his famous speech at Stanford University in 2005, I was just under twenty and studying languages at Masaryk University in Brno. I don't know if this was the turning point that would eventually steer my life in a completely different direction. But it has definitely shaped me as a person. The half-bitten apple has become a symbol of my generation as well.

The only way to do a great job is to love what you do

Today, Apple is the company with the highest market cap in the world, but – and this is what I really like about him – Steve Jobs never really cared about making a lot of money in the first place. Like he said, "Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful... that's what matters to me." For him, the main thing was always to offer high-quality, top-notch product or service. He knew that the money would eventually come if the quality is there. And that the money would give way to other great innovations that can change the world.

Although many found his ways of running the company to be dictator-like, he wanted to build a company where people would be driven to develop top-notch products. They will take pride in what they do and how they do it, and they will be fully convinced in the product or service. Plus they will be true experts in their field. He knew a well set-up and motivated team is key to success. Although he was often hard on his colleagues and employees, he was the hardest on himself.

People often don't know what they want until you show them

Jobs used to say that you can't ask people what they want, and then start developing a product or service. You yourself need have a vision, innovate, and offer something that people will want when you show them. This applies to any field or activity. You can always try to bring something new and do things differently than others. Think different.

Persistence is key

I don't know if it's a win for those around you if you see satisfaction as decline in a certain sense, but that was the case with Steve Jobs. He was never satisfied. And even when he accomplished amazing things, he would keep improving them and think about what to do better and differently. His endless energy and willingness to take on new challenges was contagious.

He was convinced that what separates successful and unsuccessful entrepreneurs and managers is persistence. His life is the best proof. "Stay hungry. Stay foolish" is something that should be ingrained in every top manager’s DNA.

I’ve followed it through my whole career. Anything is possible if you have the willpower to pursue your goal. That's my motto.

Written by Adam Janek

Photo credits: Shutterstock and Adam Janek