Steve Jobs, the visionary co-founder of Apple Inc., was not just a tech innovator but also a master of motivation. His words continue to inspire entrepreneurs, creatives, and dreamers worldwide. Whether you’re looking for wisdom on success, creativity, or perseverance, Jobs’ quotes offer timeless insights.
Below, we’ve compiled 101+ of the most powerful Steve Jobs quotes to ignite your passion and push you toward greatness.
Famous Steve Jobs Quotes on Life, Success, and Innovation
On Innovation & Creativity
- “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” – Steve Jobs
- “Stay hungry, stay foolish.” – Steve Jobs
- “Creativity is just connecting things.” – Steve Jobs
- “The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” – Steve Jobs
- “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” – Steve Jobs
On Success & Hard Work
- “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.” – Steve Jobs
- “I’m convinced that about half of what separates successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.” – Steve Jobs
- “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.” – Steve Jobs
- “Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.” – Steve Jobs
- “If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.” – Steve Jobs
On Failure & Persistence
- “Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly and get on with improving your other innovations.” – Steve Jobs
- “I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.” – Steve Jobs
- “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” – Steve Jobs
- “It’s fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” – Steve Jobs
- “You have to trust in something—your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.” – Steve Jobs
On Passion & Purpose
- “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
- “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs
- “People with passion can change the world.” – Steve Jobs
- “I want to put a ding in the universe.” – Steve Jobs
- “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” – Steve Jobs
On Leadership & Vision
- “My job is not to be easy on people. My job is to make them better.” – Steve Jobs
- “Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.” – Steve Jobs
- “Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles.” – Steve Jobs
- “Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.” – Steve Jobs
- “Technology is nothing. What’s important is that you have faith in people.” – Steve Jobs
On Life & Death
- “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.” – Steve Jobs
- “Death is very likely the single best invention of life.” – Steve Jobs
- “No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there.” – Steve Jobs
- “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” – Steve Jobs
- “Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs
On Business & Entrepreneurship
- “Get closer than ever to your customers. So close that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves.” – Steve Jobs
- “You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.” – Steve Jobs
- “My favorite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.” – Steve Jobs
- “It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.” – Steve Jobs
- “Details matter, it’s worth waiting to get it right.” – Steve Jobs
On Simplicity & Focus
- “Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.” – Steve Jobs
- “Focus is about saying no.” – Steve Jobs
- “Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.” – Steve Jobs
- “That’s been one of my mantras—focus and simplicity.” – Steve Jobs
- “People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But it means saying no to the hundred other good ideas.” – Steve Jobs
On Learning & Growth
- “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.” – Steve Jobs
- “Stay hungry, stay foolish.” – Steve Jobs
- “It’s not a faith in technology. It’s faith in people.” – Steve Jobs
- “I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long.” – Steve Jobs
- “The doers are the major thinkers. The people that really create the things that change this industry are both the thinker and doer in one person.” – Steve Jobs
On Change & Disruption
- “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” – Steve Jobs
- “Things don’t have to change the world to be important.” – Steve Jobs
- “Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes…” – Steve Jobs
- “Innovation is saying no to a thousand things.” – Steve Jobs
- “The ones who see things differently—they’re not fond of rules.” – Steve Jobs
On Customer Experience
- “You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work backward to the technology.” – Steve Jobs
- “Design is not just what it looks like. Design is how it works.” – Steve Jobs
- “People don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” – Steve Jobs
- “We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?” – Steve Jobs
- “It’s not the customer’s job to know what they want.” – Steve Jobs
On Teamwork & Collaboration
- “It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.” – Steve Jobs
- “Great things in business are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people.” – Steve Jobs
- “My model for business is The Beatles. They balanced each other, and the total was greater than the sum of the parts.” – Steve Jobs
- “It’s not a one-man show. It’s about teamwork.” – Steve Jobs
- “The people who are doing the work are the moving force behind the Macintosh.” – Steve Jobs
On Vision & Future
- “I want to put a ding in the universe.” – Steve Jobs
- “The ones who see things differently—they change things.” – Steve Jobs
- “We’re gambling on our vision, and we’d rather do that than make ‘me too’ products.” – Steve Jobs
- “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” – Steve Jobs
- “I think the things you regret most in life are the things you didn’t do.” – Steve Jobs
On Taking Risks
- “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.” – Steve Jobs
- “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” – Steve Jobs
- “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.” – Steve Jobs
- “If you don’t love something, you’re not going to go the extra mile.” – Steve Jobs
- “Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.” – Steve Jobs
On Excellence & Perfection
- “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.” – Steve Jobs
- “I’m as proud of what we don’t do as I am of what we do.” – Steve Jobs
- “Quality is more important than quantity.” – Steve Jobs
- “We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent.” – Steve Jobs
- “Details matter, it’s worth waiting to get it right.” – Steve Jobs
On Work Ethic & Discipline
- “I’m convinced that about half of what separates successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.” – Steve Jobs
- “You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.” – Steve Jobs
- “I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful.” – Steve Jobs
- “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
- “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life.” – Steve Jobs
On Thinking Differently
- “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels.” – Steve Jobs
- “Think different.” – Steve Jobs
- “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” – Steve Jobs
- “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” – Steve Jobs
- “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” – Steve Jobs
On Time & Productivity
- “My favorite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.” – Steve Jobs
- “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me.” – Steve Jobs
- “If today were the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today?” – Steve Jobs
- “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs
- “It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.” – Steve Jobs
On Legacy & Impact
- “I want to put a ding in the universe.” – Steve Jobs
- “We’re here to put a dent in the universe.” – Steve Jobs
- “The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” – Steve Jobs
- “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me.” – Steve Jobs
- “I think the things you regret most in life are the things you didn’t do.” – Steve Jobs
Conclusion: The Timeless Wisdom of Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs’ words continue to inspire millions, offering guidance on innovation, leadership, perseverance, and living a meaningful life. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, creative, or someone seeking motivation, these quotes remind us to think differently, pursue excellence, and never settle.
Which quote resonated with you the most? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to share this article with others who need a dose of inspiration!
Want more powerful quotes? Explore our collection of famous motivational quotes to keep fueling your journey to success!
