Scott EmpringhamAI Marketing Strategist | Helping CEOs Scale with AI

🔥🔥Steve Jobs and I have something in common.🔥🔥

18 Aug 2022 · 1 min

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A short YouTube anecdote (creator: Scott Empringham) recounting how, as a USC senior researching Hewlett Packard, the speaker "hacked" a class assignment by calling HP and reaching Bill Hewlett. After a 20-minute conversation that yielded unique insights, the speaker presented those findings to his class and earned an A. He ties the experience to a lesson attributed to Steve Jobs: the power of simply asking—encouraging listeners to ask for opportunities because there is little to lose.

Chapters

Steve Jobs and I have something in common. It's a hack, and you could steal it if you want. I was a senior at USC studying Hewlett Packard and why they're so good at retaining key employees. We were asked to make a presentation of the class, and for about two weeks, I did all the research. But the day before the presentation, I still had questions. So I decided to hack the assignment. I picked up the phone, got the number for HP, and within minutes, I was talking to Mr. Hewlett's receptionist. I told her who I was, what I was looking for, and what I was working on, and request a moment of his time. She got a chuckle, put me on hold, and moments later, I was connected to Bill Hewlett. I was flabbergasting, and for 20 minutes, I asked him every question I could think of, and he shared absolute gold. He gave me insights I never came across during my research. The next day, I share the conversation and my findings with the class. I got an A, but more importantly, learned a valuable lesson. The same lesson Steve Jobs famously shared on YouTube. The hack is this. Ask. I've asked my way into some incredible experiences and opportunities, and I wasn't any smarter, stronger, or better looking than the next guy. I just wasn't afraid to ask. Try it. You've got nothing to lose.