Steve Jobs was a big role model of mine, yet Bill Gates never came close. I'm starting to realize that is due to the dramatic nature of Job's life, which is very different from what we know about Bill Gates.
Yet, when things like this comes out, and stories about Jobs emerge, I start to question whether my choice of a role model was really all that well placed. Do you admire the guy with the entrancing personality, or the one that is about to cure polio?
One guy made an easy to use computer, some cool movies, and then some expensive first-world gadgets while hanging on to his massive fortune and reputation as a jerk. The other made "PC" a household word, now runs the largest charity in history, and is working to eradicate malaria, among other things. Both were around the same age at the time of Jobs' death. I don't understand why people look up to Jobs so much when Gates seems to be the better human being by far.
You don't have to pick between Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Take the best about each and apply to your life as they are appropriate to your goals and strategy.
With that said, if I had to choose, I'd choose Gates... and I do wish there was more about Bill Gates's approach available to learn from.
I think Bill Gates was every bit as ruthless as Jobs was. But Bill had his enormous success earlier in life, stepped down from his company earlier, and was thus ahead. Despite being the same age, they were in very different stages of life, career, and success.
Who's to say that Jobs wouldn't have gone into philanthropy once he had stepped down from Apple, had he not been a (relatively) late bloomer and died at a (relatively) young age? Then again, maybe he wouldn't have. But I think it's unfair to lambast Jobs for not living long enough to reach that stage of his life.
Most people seem to go for the charismatic figure. It's interesting how much of a backlash there is when it turns out that they were just human after all, people feel betrayed and manipulated for having placed that figure on a pedestal.
The stories about Steve jobs were always there (the most telling of which I thought was when he ripped off Wozniak with the Atari situation, but Lisa said a lot too), and gates was a dick in his time too.
Interesting people tend to have a few sides, and some of those sides can be pretty ugly.
Is it necessary to just pick one role model? or admire just one guy? Instead of admiring people as a whole, can't we just admire (and pick, emulate etc) habits/principles from many people (and ignore the 'jerk' behavior etc)? For example, Jobs had excellent taste, believed in creating simple/beautiful products etc. Gates is doing amazing work with his enormous wealth and so on.
I'm so happy to see what he's doing with his money. They way he earned it was problematic to say the least (see the ECIS paper for a succinct history, if you are interested: http://www.ecis.eu/documents/Finalversion_Consumerchoicepape...). But I have to say, he's making up for it with how he's choosing to spend it. I definitely did not see that coming.
Every time I heard about his "charitable" works, he seems to be flying into developing nations and taking a stance against more open intellectual property rights (in medicine as well as software) or, coincidentally, giving them lots of cash when they're talking about adopting open computing systems.
Admittedly, I've kind of lost interest so I've not paid any attention recently but I assume he's stopped that nonsense. Because it's tacky enough to actually lower my already poor opinion of him as a human being. (I'd also heard the foundation was mostly his wife and father's doing and he wasn't particularly interested in it, but again that's going back a few years, maybe that's changed too.)
As an engineer, the "Wozniak" stories are my favorites. He's an extremely interesting guy, and has very interesting views on many thing (including education). He's probably the "tech" personality I most wish I could meet.
Oh, it was entirely fair. Microsoft only stopped being evil once Gates left. Its predatory and monopolistic behaviour was driven primarily by him, personally.
Bill Gates is, I suspect, a much better person now than he was in the 90s, and the world is a better place because of it. His current laudable campaigns do nothing to detract from his past misdeeds, however. He was evil, now he's good. I'm glad that he's devoting the same energy and passion to stamping out Malaria and AIDS as he did stamping out Netscape and Linux. Hopefully he'll be more successful, as well.
[+] [-] willthefirst|14 years ago|reply
Yet, when things like this comes out, and stories about Jobs emerge, I start to question whether my choice of a role model was really all that well placed. Do you admire the guy with the entrancing personality, or the one that is about to cure polio?
[+] [-] acabal|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] melvinram|14 years ago|reply
With that said, if I had to choose, I'd choose Gates... and I do wish there was more about Bill Gates's approach available to learn from.
[+] [-] tjogin|14 years ago|reply
Who's to say that Jobs wouldn't have gone into philanthropy once he had stepped down from Apple, had he not been a (relatively) late bloomer and died at a (relatively) young age? Then again, maybe he wouldn't have. But I think it's unfair to lambast Jobs for not living long enough to reach that stage of his life.
[+] [-] dave_sullivan|14 years ago|reply
The stories about Steve jobs were always there (the most telling of which I thought was when he ripped off Wozniak with the Atari situation, but Lisa said a lot too), and gates was a dick in his time too.
Interesting people tend to have a few sides, and some of those sides can be pretty ugly.
[+] [-] vijayr|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] zmonkeyz|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] the_tubes|14 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] oldstrangers|14 years ago|reply
Regardless, I love hearing Gates speak candidly.
[+] [-] tomclancy|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] biot|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tedsuo|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ZeroGravitas|14 years ago|reply
Admittedly, I've kind of lost interest so I've not paid any attention recently but I assume he's stopped that nonsense. Because it's tacky enough to actually lower my already poor opinion of him as a human being. (I'd also heard the foundation was mostly his wife and father's doing and he wasn't particularly interested in it, but again that's going back a few years, maybe that's changed too.)
[+] [-] kenny_r|14 years ago|reply
My internet is routed through a proxy in Germany right now, is it still available in other countries?
[+] [-] paul9290|14 years ago|reply
These restrictions are ridiculous; it's 2012.
[+] [-] Maro|14 years ago|reply
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvKwCbYG3JQ
[+] [-] navs|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] VMG|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dangrossman|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] redthrowaway|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] navs|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] GuiA|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] redthrowaway|14 years ago|reply
http://www.folklore.org/ProjectView.py?project=Macintosh&...
[+] [-] swombat|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] melvinram|14 years ago|reply
http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11456
[+] [-] lyime|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] peterkchen|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bgentry|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] redthrowaway|14 years ago|reply
Bill Gates is, I suspect, a much better person now than he was in the 90s, and the world is a better place because of it. His current laudable campaigns do nothing to detract from his past misdeeds, however. He was evil, now he's good. I'm glad that he's devoting the same energy and passion to stamping out Malaria and AIDS as he did stamping out Netscape and Linux. Hopefully he'll be more successful, as well.