Finding the Next Steve Jobs Book Summary - Finding the Next Steve Jobs Book explained in key points

Finding the Next Steve Jobs summary

Name: Finding the Next Steve Jobs
Rating: 4.6 (15 reviews)
Author: Nolan Bushnell

Nolan Bushnell

How to Find, Keep and Nurture Creative Talent

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4.6 (15 ratings)

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What is Finding the Next Steve Jobs about?

This book is about the most important element in any business: creativity. Companies need it to succeed, or even just survive. In this book, Nolan Bushnell reflects on his experiences working with people like Steve Jobs to explain how to recruit, retain and nurture creative talent.

About the Author

Nolan Bushnell is the founder of Atari, Chuck E. Cheese and over a dozen other companies. He's also one of the inventors of Pong. At Atari, he hired Steve Jobs and Steve Wozinak, and helped launch both of their careers.

Table of Contents

Key idea 1 of 9

What's in it for me? Learn how to make the most of creative talent.

The pace of the business world is changing rapidly: the only way you can stay ahead is by constantly moving forward. Now – more than ever – creativity is absolutely vital for a successful work environment. If you want your business to succeed, you need to know how to recruit talented and imaginative people, and how to support them once you've got them.

Finding the Next Steve Jobs is about that process. These blinks will teach you how to find creative individuals – sometimes in unusual places. You'll learn how to foster an atmosphere that can support your employees' imaginations, and pave the way for them to realize great ideas. You'll also learn:

how hiring high school dropouts exclusively for a month can boost your company;
why Atari put couches and showers in their offices;
how hiring arrogant or annoying people can be a good idea;
why the author hired the inventor of the joystick because of his love for model trains;
why you should reward a person's failures;
how the Atari employees got one of their best game ideas while at a party; and
how managers are most effective when they never say no.

Create a work environment that attracts creative people.

A good work environment is vital for creativity. A cold, bland environment just can't inspire people like an interactive and exciting one can.

There are many ways a company can foster a creative atmosphere. First off, the workplace needs to be fun and interesting for the employees.

Invest time and resources into searching for talent.

Have you ever met the perfect waitress? The author did once, in a pizza restaurant. He was so impressed with her social skills that he hired her on the spot to develop new marketing programs. She brought her positive energy to the new job and performed very well.

Sometimes you can find creative and passionate people right under your nose, just like this. Most of the time, however, you'll need to go out and search for them.

Don't be afraid to hire unusual people.

Employers often seek out pleasant people to hire, believing they make good employees. That's often true, but sometimes unpleasant employees are even better.

Arrogant people, for example, can be extremely annoying – especially if they act like they're smarter than everyone else. However, if they actually are that smart, they may be able to achieve incredible feats.

Conduct interviews that help you identify creativity and passion in the candidates.

How much can you remember from what you studied in high school or university? If you're like most people, not much.

In fact, a study in 2008 showed that university graduates forget most of what they learn for their majors within two years. So don't judge candidates too much by their formal education – dig a little deeper.

Create an atmosphere that's conducive to innovation.

In his younger days, Steve Wozniak loved pranks. He once rewired the phone numbers of hotel and taxi services at airports with those of his friends. Imagine their surprise at receiving calls asking for rooms and taxis!

Good pranks like Wozniak’s play a significant role in a team. Pranks lighten up the atmosphere and help people take themselves a bit less seriously. That's very important, because when people feel more relaxed, they'll feel more comfortable taking risks. That's vital for creativity.

Use a management structure that promotes creativity instead of stifling it.

Have you ever had a manager that supervised employees like they were children? How did it feel? That sort of management style never works, and it also destroys the employees' creativity.

Managers need to treat those under them like adults, and help them realize their ideas. They need to remove obstacles to creativity, not create them.

Encourage your employees to take risks, and reward their bad ideas and failures.

When was the last time you took a risk? Did you feel frightened? Most people avoid risks, because they're too wary of the possible outcomes.

People feel the same way at work. This doesn't make sense at all, because risk-taking is the only way a company can succeed – or even survive. Luckily, you can inspire a productive culture of risk-taking without ruining the company if you do it the right way.

Promote strategies and habits that induce creativity.

Have you ever felt like you ran out of ideas or imagination? Most people have. Luckily, there are strategies you can use to jump start creativity. Companies and individuals alike can implement them in the workplace.

When you run out of creative steam, change something in your daily life. Mixing things up activates your mind, which can pave the way for new ideas.

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Who should read Finding the Next Steve Jobs

Anyone interested in business
Anyone interested in recruiting and nurturing talented people
Anyone looking to create a more effective work environment

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Finding the Next Steve Jobs summary

Listen to the first key idea

What is Finding the Next Steve Jobs about?

About the Author

What's in it for me? Learn how to make the most of creative talent.

Create a work environment that attracts creative people.

Invest time and resources into searching for talent.

Don't be afraid to hire unusual people.

Conduct interviews that help you identify creativity and passion in the candidates.

Create an atmosphere that's conducive to innovation.

Use a management structure that promotes creativity instead of stifling it.

Encourage your employees to take risks, and reward their bad ideas and failures.

Promote strategies and habits that induce creativity.

Key ideas in Finding the Next Steve Jobs

What's in it for me? Learn how to make the most of creative talent.

Create a work environment that attracts creative people.

Invest time and resources into searching for talent.

Don't be afraid to hire unusual people.

Conduct interviews that help you identify creativity and passion in the candidates.

Create an atmosphere that's conducive to innovation.

Use a management structure that promotes creativity instead of stifling it.

Encourage your employees to take risks, and reward their bad ideas and failures.

Promote strategies and habits that induce creativity.

Who should read Finding the Next Steve Jobs

Categories with Finding the Next Steve Jobs

Books like Finding the Next Steve Jobs

What our members say

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