Andrea Jones examines Steve Jobs' return to Apple in 1997, when he killed projects that didn't meet three criteria: world-class products, reshaping how people use technology, and exceptional user experience. The lesson: saying no to misaligned ideas is essential for greatness.
I recently read How to Measure Your Life by Clay Christensen. And in chapter 4, he talks about how when Steve Jobs got back to Apple in 1997, he relentlessly pursued a very focused strategy. I know a lot of people have heard various Steve Jobs quotes on that time about how pursuing the right thing means saying no to a lot of other things. But here's the quote from Clay Christensen's book. Jobs brought Apple back to its roots to make the best products in the world, change the way people think about using technology in their lives, and provide a fantastic user experience. Anything not aligned with that got scrapped. 3 things 3 criteria for all the projects you want to do. Anything not aligned with those gets scrapped. Don't be afraid to say no.
