TLDR;
The speaker shares his experience working for Steve Jobs in the early 90s, highlighting Jobs' demanding personality and his intense focus on a high signal-to-noise ratio. Jobs prioritized getting the top three to five critical tasks done within the next 18 hours, eliminating anything that hindered progress. The speaker contrasts Jobs with Elon Musk, who he believes operates with an even higher signal-to-noise ratio, virtually eliminating all distractions.
- Steve Jobs focused on signal-to-noise ratio.
- Jobs prioritized the top three to five critical tasks for the next 18 hours.
- Elon Musk operates with an even higher signal-to-noise ratio than Jobs.
Working with Steve Jobs [0:00]
The speaker recounts his time working for Steve Jobs in the early 1990s, creating educational software. He describes Jobs as a difficult person who prioritized his own vision above all else, disregarding the opinions of students, parents, or anyone else. Jobs believed he knew what people wanted before they did themselves.
Signal to Noise Ratio [0:47]
The speaker introduces the concept of signal-to-noise ratio, which Steve Jobs deeply understood. Jobs focused on identifying the top three to five most critical tasks that needed to be completed within the next 18 hours. Anything that interfered with accomplishing these tasks was considered noise and was to be eliminated.
Jobs vs. Musk [1:26]
For Steve Jobs, the ideal signal-to-noise ratio was 80% signal and 20% noise. The speaker notes that Jobs would often email him at late hours, expecting a prompt response. He contrasts Jobs with Elon Musk, whom he believes operates with an even higher signal-to-noise ratio, essentially eliminating all noise and maintaining 100% focus on the signal.