Apple founder Steve Jobs believed and lived by a simple rule which clearly defines his successful career, “God is in the details.” As per biographer Walter Isaacon, Jobs spent ‘hours after hours’ obsessing over the smallest of design elements, driven by a belief that ‘God is in the details’. It is believed that this philosophy of Jobs has shaped Apple’s DNA and it still continues to be the culture at the company.

A Design Philosophy Rooted in Perfection

Steve Jobs’ obsession for detail and design perfection was not limited only to what users could see. Isaacon also recalled an incident that how Jobs would scrutinize everything from the curvature of a computer’s casing to the layout of internal components. He would also focus on the hidden design elements. Jobs believed that the integrity of a product was always measured by the care you put in every part of the product. “True excellence in product design required a relentless pursuit of perfection,” Isaacson said, describing Jobs’s countless revisions and intense design sessions.It is said that this approach of Jobs pushed the teams at Apple to work off their limits and make innovative products. Jobs obsession for beauty and detail can be traced back to his calligraphy classes at Reed College, which inspired the elegant fonts of the Macintosh. After being ousted from Apple in 1985, he carried the same ethos to NeXT and Pixar, laying the groundwork for Apple’s comeback when he returned in 1997.

Steve Jobs believed doing great things doesn’t require more money

Apple founder also believed that doing great things does not mean that you need to have a lot of money. In an interview with a Time reporter Michael Moritz, Jobs said that making something great does not take a lot of energy or money — all it takes is more time and a willingness to persevere.“Things get more refined as you make mistakes… Your aesthetics get better as you make mistakes,” Jobs said. “All it takes is a little more time… and a willingness to persevere until it’s really great.”