I watched "Learning to Think Innovatively from Steve Jobs": When Innovation Becomes a Lifestyle

Some books not only teach you a set of methods, but invite you to change a pair of glasses to see the world. Carmine Gallo（Carmine “The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs” (The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs) by Gallo) is such a book. It is not about innovative technology, but an exercise in thinking muscles: how to see extraordinary possibilities in ordinary daily life.

As a researcher and lecturer who has long been concerned about the interface of AI, communication and creative industries, I was particularly impressed when I read this book. Many people talk about innovation, tools, processes and technology, but the inspiration given to us by Steve Jobs is a lower-level thinking structure. Gallo disassembled this kind of thinking into seven major mental methods, including career, vision, thinking, customers, design, experience and story, which almost constituted a DNA map of contemporary creative workers.

1. The starting point of innovation: passion is not romance, but discipline

“Follow your passion” sounds like a cliché, but we can feel it in Steve Jobs: passion is not an emotional slogan, but a rational persistence.

In the book mentioned that he once attended a calligraphy class for font design. Later, this obsession with aesthetics became one of the souls of Mac computers. That’s obviously not just an interest, but his belief in “what good things should look like.”

I often observe a phenomenon in internal corporate training or classes: many teams verbally emphasize innovation, but in fact they are strangled by KPIs and processes. Innovation requires passion, and the essence of passion is the pursuit of meaning. When you know why you are doing something, you can overcome fatigue, misunderstandings and frustrations.

Jobs’ passion was not just about products, but his obsession with “making the world a better place.” This reminds me of his classic saying: “Innovation distinguishes leaders from followers.”

2. The power of vision: making products a mark on the world

To be honest, Jobs’ success may not lie in how many products he created, but in the fact that he made Apple’s products become colorful cultural symbols.

In the book “Learn innovative thinking from Steve Jobs”, the author mentioned that the real vision should be specific, concise and consistent. These three adjectives may seem ordinary, but they are nothing less than touchstones for innovators.

The advertising slogan of iPod back then was “Put a thousand songs in your pocket”, which is undoubtedly a classic case. It is not simply a description of specifications, but a translation of vision - a language that people immediately understand and want immediately.

iPod advertising’s success was due in large part to its simplicity. A brief tagline and simple, straightforward message provided all of the information needed to grasp what the iPod is about.

I often tell students that a good vision is not a slogan written on the wall, but a common story that can be told repeatedly by customers, employees and investors. And Jobs’ vision is a story that people want to participate in.

3. Cross-border learning: Innovation is born from unexpected intersections

Jobs said, “Creativity is about connecting dots.”

This sentence is even more inspiring in today’s AI era. Cross-border learning is not just about understanding a few other fields, but allowing the brain to maintain multiple inputs and maximize the possibility of connection.

The book mentions how he drew inspiration from Japanese Zen Buddhism, German craftsmanship, and Pixar animation. It also reminds me that the fuel for innovation often comes from the horizontal expansion of curiosity.

When I teach or provide consulting services to companies, I also encourage students not to just study their own industry. The best inspiration often comes from unfamiliar territory.

For example, a certain catering brand once redesigned the ordering process after observing the queuing lines of theater audiences. As a result, the customer complaint rate dropped by 30%. Yes, this is the power of heterogeneous thinking.

4. Sell dreams, not products

Winning Mindset 4 is arguably my favorite part of the book.

Jobs never thought that he was selling computers or mobile phones. What he was selling was “the possibility of changing the world.”

Gallo writes: “Customers are not consumers, but people with dreams and hopes.”

This sentence reminds me of the wave of AI education and content creation in recent years - many creators think they are selling tools, but this is not quite right, because what they are selling is actually an opportunity for users to redefine their self-worth.

Every Apple press conference is not essentially a technology showcase, but a theater of dreams. Jobs knew how to use stories to summon faith, which is also the most moving part of his marketing philosophy. Of course, everyone also knows that Apple’s magic has now been paid tribute to and imitated by many companies such as Xiaomi…

But I will never forget the moment when Jobs said “One more thing” on the stage. He was not just launching a product, but creating a sense of ritual - making users feel like they were participating in history.

5. The philosophy of minimalism: turn complexity into simplicity, and achieve simplicity to the extreme

“Simplicity is the ultimate complexity.”

The book mentions an interesting link, from a rotary key of the iPod to the iPhone Each single button contains Apple’s design philosophy for users. It’s not about doing less, it’s about thinking more.

I remember that when many companies introduce AI, they often focus on technology stack and ignore the user experience. In fact, the most successful innovations often do not dazzle people with many functions, but try to make users less burdensome.

It is true that Apple not only designs products, they also design experiences with care.

Well, this also reminds me of the spirit of Japanese craftsmanship culture - remove the excess and leave the essence. Innovation is not just addition, but selective deletion.

6. The magic of experience: make customers fall in love with you in every interaction

The author mentioned how Apple Direct Store redefines customer service, from spatial movement, lighting to employee interaction, all to create the ultimate experience.

This also reminds me that in the process of corporate training and consulting, the “experience” that customers often talk about is actually a feeling of being understood. When a customer feels that you understand him, he is not just a consumer, but a brand advocate. Having said that, it’s not surprising if you think about why there are so many fruit fans around the world⋯⋯

Of course, this can also be applied to education and content creation. Students or readers are not just ordinary audiences, they are eager to be inspired, understood and moved. Therefore, instead of complaining that people don’t listen carefully, teachers or speakers may have to put more effort into creating a high-quality experience!

7. The power of stories: using narrative to make ideas flow

The last mental method is the core that I think can best run through the previous six: tell [story] well (https://iamvista.substack.com/p/vista-no40).

Everyone knows that Steve Jobs knows how to use stories to persuade, activate resonance, and build belief. He always uses a three-act structure such as conflict, turning and resolution at product launches to turn blunt technology into a vivid drama.

Carman Gallo is a communication coach himself, and he has extended this narrative power into the core competencies of innovative communication. This is extremely inspiring for any leader, lecturer, or creator.

Innovation is not about letting others see your product, but letting them see their own future.

Conclusion: Make innovation a daily routine, not a myth

After reading this book, my biggest feeling is: Jobs’ innovation is not extraordinary, but an extreme persistence in details.

Innovation is not an accidental flash of inspiration, but a conscious habit of thinking.

Carmine Gallo did not deify Steve Jobs, but showed us a way of thinking that can be learned and practiced. This is the most valuable thing about this book.

For us today, who are in the wave of AI, digital transformation and self-media competition, innovation is no longer just a technology patent, but a way of thinking - a daily attitude of “rejecting compromise and pursuing the ultimate”.

If you are eager to maintain creativity in an era of chaos, “Learn innovative thinking from Steve Jobs” will be a mirror that reflects your hidden possibilities.

Well, this is not to make you become the next Steve Jobs, but to help you find your own “Think Different”.

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Further reading

• Grow influence in relationships: Learn the secret of building loyal fans from “Reader” Zheng Junde
• I read “Key Thinking Power”: Learn to think cleanly, and life will naturally become simpler
• I watched “DEALS Trading Power”: Understand the underlying logic of the business world and learn to use economic thinking to design a winner’s trading structure

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