--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It takes a lot of hard work to make…" description: "\"It takes a lot of hard work to make something simple.\" — Steve Jobs" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/003/steve-jobs-307_hard_it-takes-a-lot-of-hard-work-to-make-some_2520009.jpg" --- # It takes a lot of hard work to make something simple. ![“It takes a lot of hard work to make something simple.” quote by Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/003/steve-jobs-307_hard_it-takes-a-lot-of-hard-work-to-make-some_2520009.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/003/steve-jobs-307_hard_it-takes-a-lot-of-hard-work-to-make-some_2520009.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/003/steve-jobs-307_hard_it-takes-a-lot-of-hard-work-to-make-some_2520009.jpg) > “It takes a lot of hard work to make something simple.” [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. Hard work is necessary to distill complexity into elegance and usability. **In simple terms:** Hard work makes simplicity possible. Key Takeaway Invest effort to simplify. Themes hard work simplicity design Mood inspirational reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - product development - software engineering - teaching - personal projects Key Concepts productivity minimalism craftsmanship Questions to Reflect On - How can you apply effort to simplify your work? - What simple product could you create? A Different Perspective Simplicity may require ongoing maintenance and updates. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [“That’s been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/that-s-been-one-of-my-mantras-focus-and-simplicity-simple-can-be-2/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/simple-can-be-harder-than-complex-you-have-to-work-hard-to-get-your-2/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [That's been one of my mantras - focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/that-s-been-one-of-my-mantras-focus-and-simplicity-simple-can-be/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/simple-can-be-harder-than-complex-you-have-to-work-hard-to-get-your/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Being in front of the camera is a lot of hard work, and I'm not cut out for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gauri-khan/being-in-front-of-the-camera-is-a-lot-of-hard-work-and-i-m-not-cut/) [Gauri Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gauri-khan/) > [Keep a sharp lookout upon your materials; get rid of every pound of material you can do without; put to yourself the question what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-maudslay/keep-a-sharp-lookout-upon-your-materials-get-rid-of-every-pound-of/) Henry Maudslay > [A lot of hard work is hidden behind nice things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-lauren/a-lot-of-hard-work-is-hidden-behind-nice-things/) [Ralph Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-lauren/) > [I hate that word — 'lucky.' It cheapens a lot of hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dinklage/i-hate-that-word-lucky-it-cheapens-a-lot-of-hard-work/) [Peter Dinklage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dinklage/) > [It's disappointing when you put in a lot of hard work and it doesn't really pay off the way that you want it to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-vucevic/it-s-disappointing-when-you-put-in-a-lot-of-hard-work-and-it-doesn-t/) [Nikola Vucevic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-vucevic/) > [Dreams do come true. But it will involve a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication, a lot of studying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-campisi/dreams-do-come-true-but-it-will-involve-a-lot-of-hard-work-a-lot-of/) [Gabriel Campisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-campisi/) > [Behind every easy role, there is a lot of hard work that goes in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawazuddin-siddiqui/behind-every-easy-role-there-is-a-lot-of-hard-work-that-goes-in/) [Nawazuddin Siddiqui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawazuddin-siddiqui/) > [There is a lot of hard work that needs to be done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martti-ahtisaari/there-is-a-lot-of-hard-work-that-needs-to-be-done/) [Martti Ahtisaari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martti-ahtisaari/) > [I am an instance of what is possible with a lot of hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/i-am-an-instance-of-what-is-possible-with-a-lot-of-hard-work/) [Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/) > [I've had a lot of hard fights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jermall-charlo/i-ve-had-a-lot-of-hard-fights/) [Jermall Charlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jermall-charlo/) > [I have had lots of luck in my career but there has also been a lot of hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-have-had-lots-of-luck-in-my-career-but-there-has-also-been-a-lot-of/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) ## 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 Hard quotes > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [It is hard to admit to someone that you love him..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misherie/it-is-hard-to-admit-to-someone-that-you-love-him/) [Misherie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misherie/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [There Was Many Time I Had Wanted To Give Up In Life On So Many Things…But Naw F\*\*\* That...I'm Not Going To Never Give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/out-spoken/there-was-many-time-i-had-wanted-to-give-up-in-life-on-so-many-things/) Out Spoken > [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/) [Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/) [Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/) > [In our society we have hard nerds and soft nerds. The hard nerds are the ones who used to have the slide rules at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/in-our-society-we-have-hard-nerds-and-soft-nerds-the-hard-nerds-are/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) > [High school, going into my junior year, I kind of had the idea I was going to be the starting running back. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saquon-barkley/high-school-going-into-my-junior-year-i-kind-of-had-the-idea-i-was/) [Saquon Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saquon-barkley/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) Browse all 29,826 Hard quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It takes a lot of hard work to make something simple.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steve Jobs" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/it-takes-a-lot-of-hard-work-to-make-something-simple/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Hard" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/it-takes-a-lot-of-hard-work-to-make-something-simple/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/003/steve-jobs-307_hard_it-takes-a-lot-of-hard-work-to-make-some_2520009.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/003/steve-jobs-307_hard_it-takes-a-lot-of-hard-work-to-make-some_2520009.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/003/steve-jobs-307_hard_it-takes-a-lot-of-hard-work-to-make-some_2520009.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It takes a lot of hard work to make something simple.” — 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": "It takes a lot of hard...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/it-takes-a-lot-of-hard-work-to-make-something-simple/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/it-takes-a-lot-of-hard-work-to-make-something-simple/#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 } } ] } ```