Am one of those who firmly believe that small business enterprises whether technology related or not remain the sure way of creating millions of new jobs that the economy so badly needs.
A few weeks ago, I wrote a piece titled Transformational Attributes of Steve Jobs. It was well received and in case you missed it, you may search punchng.com to read it.
Today’s piece is focused on the other guy who silently worked hard to make Apple thick. Steve Wozniak may not be known to a lot of people but he was there from the very beginning alongside the more popular Jobs of great memory.
Enjoy these lessons that can be learnt from Steve Wozniak:
Persistence and perseverance
Wozniak and Jobs were both regular guys with humble backgrounds but one thing they had in abundance was ideas which they believed in and pursued to a logical conclusion. They started out in a garage since they could not afford to rent an office. It was in the garage that world class products were born.
The lesson here is, do not despair but persevere even when you start having problem along the way. Stop looking at your present situation as an excuse to stop; rather, focus on your objective of providing that unique product or service that will give the solutions required by your customers.
Have an analytical mind
Wozniak had an analytical mind and this assisted him greatly in the art of problem solving. He always had the desire to solve problems internally. He believes that one should allow kids to start learning mathematics early in life as this helps the analytical mind. He had this unending quest to solve problems.
My advice to start-ups is: do likewise. Carry out proper analysis of whatever you are into so that your endeavour will not be dead on arrival.
Resilience and patience
Wozniak is resilient and patient. He made a prototype of the Apple 1 and wanted to have it realised on a business scale. So he took it to HP where he had previously worked but unfortunately for him, the prototype was rejected by HP, not once, but five times!
He afterwards met someone who believed in him and his prototype in the person of Steve Jobs. They became partners by co-founding Apple Inc. and the rest is history.
The take away is that you need to be resilient and not take no for an answer because you’d likely find someone who’d believe in you, if you are patient enough.
Focus on what you love to do in the organisation
Wozniak wanted to be an — Finish Reading on the Punch
