--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Innovation is saying 'no' to 1,000 things." description: "\"Innovation is saying 'no' to 1,000 things.\" — Steve Jobs" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f7/steve-jobs-307_innovation_innovation-is-saying-no-to-1-000-things_2903241.jpg" --- # Innovation is saying 'no' to 1,000 things. ![“Innovation is saying 'no' to 1,000 things.” quote by Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f7/steve-jobs-307_innovation_innovation-is-saying-no-to-1-000-things_2903241.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f7/steve-jobs-307_innovation_innovation-is-saying-no-to-1-000-things_2903241.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f7/steve-jobs-307_innovation_innovation-is-saying-no-to-1-000-things_2903241.jpg) > “Innovation is saying 'no' to 1,000 things.” [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. Innovation requires selective focus, discarding many ideas to pursue the few that matter. **In simple terms:** Innovation is about saying no to many ideas. Key Takeaway Prioritize and eliminate distractions. Themes creativity focus decisionmaking Mood inspired determined Type motivational strategic When to use this quote - product development - entrepreneurship - personal projects Key Concepts design thinking strategic filtering Questions to Reflect On - Which ideas are you holding onto that hinder progress? - How can you practice selective focus daily? A Different Perspective Saying no can limit unexpected opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [000 Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/000-things-442220/) [Innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation/) [Innovation Saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation-saying-409785/) [Saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying/) [Saying 000](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying-000-4140375/) [Saying no](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying-no/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) ## Related quotes > [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.](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/) > [And 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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/and-it-comes-from-saying-no-to-1-000-things-to-make-sure-we-don-t-get/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [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…](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/) > [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…](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/) > [I know you have 1000 great ideas for things that iTunes could do. And we have 1000 more. But innovation is not about saying…](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/) > [“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/) > [“Steve Jobs gave a small private presentation about the iTunes Music Store to some independent record label people. My favorite line of the day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/steve-jobs-gave-a-small-private-presentation-about-the-itunes-music/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [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/) > [I've never been the actor that's waiting for a job. I always have 15,000 other things going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malik-yoba/i-ve-never-been-the-actor-that-s-waiting-for-a-job-i-always-have-15/) [Malik Yoba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malik-yoba/) > [You only have to bat 1.000 in two things-flying and heart transplants. Everything else, you can go four in five.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beano-cook/you-only-have-to-bat-1-000-in-two-things-flying-and-heart-transplants/) [Beano Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beano-cook/) > [If you only have 10 examples of something, it's going to be hard to make deep learning work. If you have 100,000 things you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-dean/if-you-only-have-10-examples-of-something-it-s-going-to-be-hard-to/) [Jeff Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-dean/) > [Before I was paralyzed, there were 10,000 things I could do; now there are 9,000. I can either dwell on the 1,000 I've lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-i-was-paralyzed-there-were-10-000-things-i-could-do-now-there/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 things that do not work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-edison/i-have-not-failed-i-have-just-found-10-000-things-that-do-not-work/) [Thomas Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-edison/) > [God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/god-is-always-doing-10-000-things-in-your-life-and-you-may-be-aware/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Focus is about saying, No. And the result of that focus is going to be some really great products where the total is much…](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/) ## 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/) [Explore all 695 Steve Jobs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## More Innovation quotes > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I believe that one defines oneself by reinvention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-believe-that-one-defines-oneself-by-reinvention/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [“In the innovation age customer experience is key. Your impression defines their expression”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fela-durotoye/in-the-innovation-age-customer-experience-is-key-your-impression/) [Fela Durotoye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fela-durotoye/) > [“Incrementalism never allows innovation to flourish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-ratna/incrementalism-never-allows-innovation-to-flourish/) [Abhishek Ratna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-ratna/) > [I have tremendous admiration for companies with the kind of pioneering spirit and innovation eBay has demonstrated from day one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/i-have-tremendous-admiration-for-companies-with-the-kind-of/) [Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/) > [Real breakthroughs are not found because you want to develop some new technology, but because you are curious and want to find out how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-zeilinger/real-breakthroughs-are-not-found-because-you-want-to-develop-some-new/) [Anton Zeilinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-zeilinger/) > [Why is it that, when we want to think outside the proverbial box, we often put ourselves in one? We gather our team in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/why-is-it-that-when-we-want-to-think-outside-the-proverbial-box-we/) [Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/) > [We have to be innovative, we have to be fresh, we have to be new. People are counting on that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-barthel/we-have-to-be-innovative-we-have-to-be-fresh-we-have-to-be-new-people/) [Sarah Barthel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-barthel/) > [All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/all-of-the-barriers-to-innovation-in-the-energy-sector-are-arguments/) [Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/) > [I'd take garbage, and I'd glue them together and create inventions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-makosinski/i-d-take-garbage-and-i-d-glue-them-together-and-create-inventions/) [Ann Makosinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-makosinski/) > [“Some innovations just don’t attract enough economic or social demand: just as supersonic flight and manned space flight stagnated after the 1970s, today (in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-j-rees/some-innovations-just-don-t-attract-enough-economic-or-social-demand/) [Martin J. Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-j-rees/) > [We're focused on providing innovations in software, driving the continuous improvement for a much better experience, and there's a lot going on here that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/we-re-focused-on-providing-innovations-in-software-driving-the/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Other things being equal, it is the person who can lift his work up to the plane of the intuitional and inspiration who achieves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanwood-cobb/other-things-being-equal-it-is-the-person-who-can-lift-his-work-up-to/) [Stanwood Cobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanwood-cobb/) > [Let art, then, imitate nature, find what she desires, and follow as she directs. For in invention nature is never last, education never first;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/let-art-then-imitate-nature-find-what-she-desires-and-follow-as-she/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) [Browse all 4,437 Innovation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Innovation is saying 'no' to 1,000 things.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steve Jobs" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/innovation-is-saying-no-to-1-000-things/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Innovation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/innovation-is-saying-no-to-1-000-things/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f7/steve-jobs-307_innovation_innovation-is-saying-no-to-1-000-things_2903241.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f7/steve-jobs-307_innovation_innovation-is-saying-no-to-1-000-things_2903241.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f7/steve-jobs-307_innovation_innovation-is-saying-no-to-1-000-things_2903241.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Innovation is saying 'no' to 1,000 things.” — Steve Jobs", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Steve Jobs", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Innovation is saying 'no' to 1,000...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/innovation-is-saying-no-to-1-000-things/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/innovation-is-saying-no-to-1-000-things/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```