--- title: "11 Saying no Quotes By Steve Jobs" description: "11 Saying no quotes by Steve Jobs. Plus more from Steve Jobs and more Saying no sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b5/steve-jobs-307_focus_focusing-is-all-about-saying-no-1662572_1662572.jpg" --- > [Focusing is all about saying no](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/focusing-is-all-about-saying-no/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b5/steve-jobs-307_focus_focusing-is-all-about-saying-no-1662572_1662572.jpg) > [Innovation is saying 'no' to 1,000 things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/innovation-is-saying-no-to-1-000-things/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f7/steve-jobs-307_innovation_innovation-is-saying-no-to-1-000-things_2903241.jpg) > [Focus does not mean saying yes, it means saying no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/focus-does-not-mean-saying-yes-it-means-saying-no/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a69/steve-jobs-307_doe_focus-does-not-mean-saying-yes-it-means_2677797.jpg) > [Innovation means saying 'no' to a thousand things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/innovation-means-saying-no-to-a-thousand-things/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b01/steve-jobs-307_innovation_innovation-means-saying-no-to-a-thousand_1115020.jpg) > [Focusing is about saying No.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/focusing-is-about-saying-no/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c22/steve-jobs-307_diplomat_focusing-is-about-saying-no-213491_213491.jpg) > [It comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don't get on the wrong track or try to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/it-comes-from-saying-no-to-1-000-things-to-make-sure-we-don-t-get-on/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/steve-jobs-307_best-job_it-comes-from-saying-no-to-1-000-things_1385139.jpg) > [I know you have 1000 great ideas for things that iTunes could do. And we have 1000 more. But innovation is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-know-you-have-1000-great-ideas-for-things-that-itunes-could-do-and/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/204/steve-jobs-307_crucial_i-know-you-have-1000-great-ideas-for-thi_1323824.jpg) > [I'm as proud of many of the things we haven't done as the things we have done. Innovation is saying no to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-m-as-proud-of-many-of-the-things-we-haven-t-done-as-the-things-we/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/384/steve-jobs-307_best-job_i-m-as-proud-of-many-of-the-things-we-ha_2605512.jpg) > [Focus is about saying, No. And the result of that focus is going to be some really great products where the total…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/focus-is-about-saying-no-and-the-result-of-that-focus-is-going-to-be/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f5/steve-jobs-307_focus_focus-is-about-saying-no-and-the-result_843287.jpg) > [The hardest thing when you think about focusing. You think focusing is about saying "Yes." No. Focusing is about saying "No." And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-hardest-thing-when-you-think-about-focusing-you-think-focusing-is/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/761/steve-jobs-307_focusing_the-hardest-thing-when-you-think-about-f_3093250.jpg) > [People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/people-think-focus-means-saying-yes-to-the-thing-you-ve-got-to-focus/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da6/steve-jobs-307_done_people-think-focus-means-saying-yes-to-t_485289.jpg) ## More by Steve Jobs > [Who wants a stylus. You have to get em and put em away, and you lose em. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/who-wants-a-stylus-you-have-to-get-em-and-put-em-away-and-you-lose-em/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I admire Mark Zuckerberg... for not selling out, for wanting to make a company. I admire that a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-admire-mark-zuckerberg-for-not-selling-out-for-wanting-to-make-a/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [If you want to hire great people and have them stay, you have to be run by ideas, not hierarchy. The best ideas have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/if-you-want-to-hire-great-people-and-have-them-stay-you-have-to-be/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/everything-around-you-that-you-call-life-was-made-up-by-people-that/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“Innovation is not about saying yes to everything. It's about saying NO to all but the most crucial features.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/innovation-is-not-about-saying-yes-to-everything-it-s-about-saying-no/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-have-always-said-if-there-ever-came-a-day-when-i-could-no-longer/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/when-you-first-start-off-trying-to-solve-a-problem-the-first/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I'm not dismissing the value of higher education; I'm simply saying it comes at the expense of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-m-not-dismissing-the-value-of-higher-education-i-m-simply-saying-it/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“To YoYo Ma: "You playing is the best argument I've ever heard for the existence of God, because I don't really believe a human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/to-yoyo-ma-you-playing-is-the-best-argument-i-ve-ever-heard-for-the/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The most important thing is a person. A person who incites your curiosity and feeds your curiosity; and machines cannot do that in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-most-important-thing-is-a-person-a-person-who-incites-your/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The tragedy is that Dell didn't win it - we lost it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-tragedy-is-that-dell-didn-t-win-it-we-lost-it/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“I think great artists and great engineers are similar, in that they both have a desire to express themselves. In fact some of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-think-great-artists-and-great-engineers-are-similar-in-that-they/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It's rare that you see an artist in his 30s or 40s able to really contribute something amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/it-s-rare-that-you-see-an-artist-in-his-30s-or-40s-able-to-really/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [We're going to be able to ask our computers to monitor things for us, and when certain conditions happen, are triggered, the computers will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/we-re-going-to-be-able-to-ask-our-computers-to-monitor-things-for-us/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying-no/steve-jobs/#itemlist", "name": "11 Saying no Quotes By Steve Jobs", "numberOfItems": 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"https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/steve-jobs-307_best-job_it-comes-from-saying-no-to-1-000-things_1385139.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/steve-jobs-307_best-job_it-comes-from-saying-no-to-1-000-things_1385139.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/steve-jobs-307_best-job_it-comes-from-saying-no-to-1-000-things_1385139.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don't get on the wrong track or try to do too much.” — Steve Jobs", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I know you have 1000 great ideas for things that iTunes could do. And we have 1000 more. But innovation is not about saying \"yes\" to everything. It's about saying \"no\" to all but the most crucial features.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steve Jobs" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-know-you-have-1000-great-ideas-for-things-that-itunes-could-do-and/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/204/steve-jobs-307_crucial_i-know-you-have-1000-great-ideas-for-thi_1323824.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/204/steve-jobs-307_crucial_i-know-you-have-1000-great-ideas-for-thi_1323824.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/204/steve-jobs-307_crucial_i-know-you-have-1000-great-ideas-for-thi_1323824.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I know you have 1000 great ideas for things that iTunes could do. And we have 1000 more. But innovation is…” — Steve Jobs", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm as proud of many of the things we haven't done as the things we have done. Innovation is saying no to a thousand things.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steve Jobs" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-m-as-proud-of-many-of-the-things-we-haven-t-done-as-the-things-we/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/384/steve-jobs-307_best-job_i-m-as-proud-of-many-of-the-things-we-ha_2605512.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/384/steve-jobs-307_best-job_i-m-as-proud-of-many-of-the-things-we-ha_2605512.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/384/steve-jobs-307_best-job_i-m-as-proud-of-many-of-the-things-we-ha_2605512.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm as proud of many of the things we haven't done as the things we have done. Innovation is saying no to a…” — Steve Jobs", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Focus is about saying, No. And the result of that focus is going to be some really great products where the total is much greater than the sum of the parts.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steve Jobs" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/focus-is-about-saying-no-and-the-result-of-that-focus-is-going-to-be/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f5/steve-jobs-307_focus_focus-is-about-saying-no-and-the-result_843287.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f5/steve-jobs-307_focus_focus-is-about-saying-no-and-the-result_843287.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f5/steve-jobs-307_focus_focus-is-about-saying-no-and-the-result_843287.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Focus is about saying, No. And the result of that focus is going to be some really great products where the…” — Steve Jobs", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The hardest thing when you think about focusing. You think focusing is about saying \"Yes.\" No. Focusing is about saying \"No.\" And when you say \"No,\" you piss off people.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steve Jobs" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-hardest-thing-when-you-think-about-focusing-you-think-focusing-is/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/761/steve-jobs-307_focusing_the-hardest-thing-when-you-think-about-f_3093250.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/761/steve-jobs-307_focusing_the-hardest-thing-when-you-think-about-f_3093250.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/761/steve-jobs-307_focusing_the-hardest-thing-when-you-think-about-f_3093250.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The hardest thing when you think about focusing. You think focusing is about saying \"Yes.\" No. Focusing is…” — Steve Jobs", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 11, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steve Jobs" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/people-think-focus-means-saying-yes-to-the-thing-you-ve-got-to-focus/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da6/steve-jobs-307_done_people-think-focus-means-saying-yes-to-t_485289.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da6/steve-jobs-307_done_people-think-focus-means-saying-yes-to-t_485289.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da6/steve-jobs-307_done_people-think-focus-means-saying-yes-to-t_485289.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. 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