By Teresa Torres · producttalk.org · @ttorres on X · LinkedIn
Teresa Torres marks the one-year anniversary of Steve Jobs's death by reflecting on her mixed feelings about him. She credits Jobs with an extraordinary record of beautiful, usable products and a rare dedication to design and quality. She separates these outcomes from his process, which she describes as secretive, bullying, and autocratic. Torres rejects the idea that great products require tyranny, even while acknowledging that good products rarely come from consensus. The post ends with a day of gratitude for the products that shape her daily life, while reserving the right to stay critical the rest of the year. It matters to product people because it frames the tension between leadership style and product excellence.
01Key takeaways
- Separate the quality of a product outcome from the leadership process that produced it when evaluating leaders.
- Obsessive attention to detail and a deep understanding of users are transferable product practices.
- Great products do not require consensus, but they also do not require bullying or intimidation of the team.
- Dedication to design can be a powerful standard even when the person embodying it is hard to admire.
- Holding admiration and criticism at the same time is a reasonable stance toward influential product leaders.
02Key sections
- A year after Jobs's death
- The author opens by noting the anniversary and admitting she feels more conflicted about Jobs than about anyone else.
- Outcomes worth admiring
- She lists the iconic Apple products and praises his attention to detail, quality, and deep understanding of users.
- The problem with his process
- She points to the little known about his process, describing it as bullying, always being right, and insisting on his way.
- Good products without tyranny
- Torres concedes that consensus rarely builds great products but argues that leaders do not need to be tyrants to succeed.
- Setting the conflict aside
- She closes by celebrating the products she uses daily while promising to stay critical the rest of the year.
03From the post
“One year ago today, Steve Jobs passed away. I can't think of any other person of whom I feel more conflicted. It's hard to argue with Steve's results. After all, he brought us the candy-colored iMacs, the iPod, iTunes, the iPhone, the iPad, and so much”
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.