--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was lucky to get into computers when it…" description: "\"I was lucky to get into computers when it was a very young and idealistic industry. There weren't many degrees offered in computer science, so people i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/steve-jobs-307_brilliant_i-was-lucky-to-get-into-computers-when-i_1576630.jpg" --- # I was lucky to get into computers when it was a very young… ![“I was lucky to get into computers when it was a very young and idealistic industry. There weren't many degrees offered in computer science, so people in computers were brilliant people from mathematics, physics, music, zoology, whatever. They loved it, and no one was really in it for the money.” quote by Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/steve-jobs-307_brilliant_i-was-lucky-to-get-into-computers-when-i_1576630.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/steve-jobs-307_brilliant_i-was-lucky-to-get-into-computers-when-i_1576630.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/steve-jobs-307_brilliant_i-was-lucky-to-get-into-computers-when-i_1576630.jpg) > “I was lucky to get into computers when it was a very young and idealistic industry. There weren't many degrees offered in computer science, so people in computers were brilliant people from mathematics, physics, music, zoology, whatever. They loved it, and no one was really in it for the money.” [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early computer industry attracted idealistic, interdisciplinary talent driven by passion, not profit. **In simple terms:** Early tech was passion driven. Key Takeaway Pursue work you love, not money. Themes technology career idealism Mood inspirational nostalgic Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career choice - education - innovation - startup culture Key Concepts interdisciplinary talent industry evolution Questions to Reflect On - Do you think idealism still exists in tech? - How can we foster passion over profit? A Different Perspective Industry now profit‑driven; idealism may be scarce. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brilliant/) [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Computer science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer-science/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Idealistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idealistic/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Lucky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lucky/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Zoology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zoology/) ## Related quotes > [I went and I started teaching computers to young kids, to fifth graders at first, later to sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth graders. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/i-went-and-i-started-teaching-computers-to-young-kids-to-fifth/) [Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/) > [These days, young people watch TV on smartphones and computers. Young people with an actual TV set are harder to find than a picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/these-days-young-people-watch-tv-on-smartphones-and-computers-young/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [I used to have the very standard worldview. I can easily identify with people who see computers getting faster and smarter, and technology getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaan-tallinn/i-used-to-have-the-very-standard-worldview-i-can-easily-identify-with/) [Jaan Tallinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaan-tallinn/) > [Mac people use their computers; Windows people put up with their computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wil-shipley/mac-people-use-their-computers-windows-people-put-up-with-their/) Wil Shipley > [I worked at a local country club that I never belonged to. I did random tasks in the pro shop and supposed to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-hennig/i-worked-at-a-local-country-club-that-i-never-belonged-to-i-did/) [Shelley Hennig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelley-hennig/) > [With both people and computers on the job, computer error can be more quickly tracked down and corrected by people and, conversely, human error…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/with-both-people-and-computers-on-the-job-computer-error-can-be-more/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [There are certain things I am clueless about as far as the new technologies. I see these people in front of these computers all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-de-niro/there-are-certain-things-i-am-clueless-about-as-far-as-the-new/) [Robert De Niro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-de-niro/) > [We need a lot more technically literate people. The computers are the tools that are going to solve essentially all problems, and the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-lutke/we-need-a-lot-more-technically-literate-people-the-computers-are-the/) [Tobias Lutke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-lutke/) > [People's computers are not getting more secure. They're getting more infected with viruses. They're getting more under the control of malware.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avi-rubin/people-s-computers-are-not-getting-more-secure-they-re-getting-more/) [Avi Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avi-rubin/) > [When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/when-i-was-young-there-was-an-amazing-publication-called-the-whole/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [When I went to school, it was right after the '60s and before this general wave of practical purposefulness had set in… The idealistic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/when-i-went-to-school-it-was-right-after-the-60s-and-before-this/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Part of what made the Macintosh great was that the people working on it were musicians, poets, and artists, and zoologists, and historians. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/part-of-what-made-the-macintosh-great-was-that-the-people-working-on-2/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [What's next? Shall we appoint elephants to teach zoology?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-jakobson/what-s-next-shall-we-appoint-elephants-to-teach-zoology/) [Roman Jakobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-jakobson/) > [Zoology has always been interesting to me. Nature is fascinating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/zoology-has-always-been-interesting-to-me-nature-is-fascinating/) [Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/) > [The first steps in Agriculture, Astronomy, Zoology, (those first steps which the farmer, the hunter, and the sailor take,) teach that nature's dice are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-first-steps-in-agriculture-astronomy-zoology-those-first-steps/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## 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. 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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. 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