--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some people can do one thing…" description: "\"Some people can do one thing magnificently, like Michelangelo, and others make things like semiconductors or build 747 airplanes -- that type of work r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03d/steve-jobs-307_airplane_some-people-can-do-one-thing-magnificent_1565032.jpg" --- # Some people can do one thing magnificently, like… ![“Some people can do one thing magnificently, like Michelangelo, and others make things like semiconductors or build 747 airplanes -- that type of work requires legions of people. In order to do things well, that can't be done by one person, you must find extraordinary people.” quote by Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03d/steve-jobs-307_airplane_some-people-can-do-one-thing-magnificent_1565032.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03d/steve-jobs-307_airplane_some-people-can-do-one-thing-magnificent_1565032.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03d/steve-jobs-307_airplane_some-people-can-do-one-thing-magnificent_1565032.jpg) > “Some people can do one thing magnificently, like Michelangelo, and others make things like semiconductors or build 747 airplanes -- that type of work requires legions of people. In order to do things well, that can't be done by one person, you must find extraordinary people.” [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. Great achievements need many talents; no single person can master all aspects of complex projects. **In simple terms:** Big work needs many people. Key Takeaway Seek extraordinary collaborators. Themes collaboration teamwork complexity Mood inspirational reflective Type motivational leadership When to use this quote - product development - large engineering projects - artistic productions - research labs Key Concepts systems thinking division of labor Questions to Reflect On - How do you identify extraordinary collaborators? - What structures support effective teamwork? A Different Perspective Even with many experts, coordination can fail. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Extraordinary people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extraordinary-people/) [Legion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legion/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Ordinary people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordinary-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Semiconductors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/semiconductors/) ## Related quotes > [All good work requires self-revelation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/all-good-work-requires-self-revelation/) [Sidney Lumet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lumet/) > [It's true that every day away from work requires two more days to get back into it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-guest/it-s-true-that-every-day-away-from-work-requires-two-more-days-to-get/) [Judith Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-guest/) > [To create a work of art, great or small, is work, hard work, and work requires discipline and order.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/to-create-a-work-of-art-great-or-small-is-work-hard-work-and-work/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [The work requires a moderately large investment in technological and theoretical developments and long periods of time to carry them out, without the pressure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-klug/the-work-requires-a-moderately-large-investment-in-technological-and/) [Aaron Klug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-klug/) > [“As you’ll see in the discussions ahead, the shortcuts and modern marvels of work don’t come without a cost. Thriving in the new era…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/as-you-ll-see-in-the-discussions-ahead-the-shortcuts-and-modern/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [Work requires effort. Things we love to do feel effortless. Only do the things you love and you'll never have to work again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/work-requires-effort-things-we-love-to-do-feel-effortless-only-do-the/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [If the work requires smart, talented, creative people, then more than anything, you want to enable folks on the team to create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sinofsky/if-the-work-requires-smart-talented-creative-people-then-more-than/) [Steven Sinofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sinofsky/) > [As a whole, people suck. But a person can be extraordinary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/as-a-whole-people-suck-but-a-person-can-be-extraordinary/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [Every single ordinary person has an extraordinary story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/every-single-ordinary-person-has-an-extraordinary-story/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [I'm a regular person with an extraordinary job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-roberts/i-m-a-regular-person-with-an-extraordinary-job/) [Julia Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-roberts/) > [“At what point does another person's extraordinary become your ordinary?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-murphy/at-what-point-does-another-person-s-extraordinary-become-your-ordinary/) [Julie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-murphy/) > [“(...) every single person, has a story to tell. Every single ordinary person has an extraordinary story. We might all think that we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/every-single-person-has-a-story-to-tell-every-single-ordinary-person/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [I'm just an ordinary person who has an extraordinary job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-roberts/i-m-just-an-ordinary-person-who-has-an-extraordinary-job/) [Julia Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-roberts/) > [Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hardship-often-prepares-an-ordinary-person-for-an-extraordinary/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Marvel is at its best when we see how an ordinary person has something extraordinary happen to them - whether it's Tony Stark or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-loeb/marvel-is-at-its-best-when-we-see-how-an-ordinary-person-has/) [Jeph Loeb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-loeb/) ## 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 Airplane quotes > [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [I shoot in black and white, sometimes color, sometimes if it looks good I shoot out the window of the airplanes or whatever, anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barry/i-shoot-in-black-and-white-sometimes-color-sometimes-if-it-looks-good/) [Robert Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barry/) > [I've jumped out of an airplane 34 times. I've dove 212 feet under water. I've done a lot of things that defied death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/i-ve-jumped-out-of-an-airplane-34-times-i-ve-dove-212-feet-under/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) > [I believe that anyone who flies in an airplane and doesn't spend most of his time looking out the window wastes his money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-reisner/i-believe-that-anyone-who-flies-in-an-airplane-and-doesn-t-spend-most/) [Marc Reisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-reisner/) > [We live in a world where it has become politically correct to avoid absolutes. Many want all religions to be given the same honor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-live-in-a-world-where-it-has-become-politically-correct-to-avoid/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [On the second airplane to france and we're done ! yeyyyyyyyyy !! this one was more full :P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shmmopy/on-the-second-airplane-to-france-and-we-re-done-yeyyyyyyyyy-this-one/) Shmmopy > [The way I see it, you can either work for a living or you can fly airplanes. Me, I'd rather fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/len-morgan/the-way-i-see-it-you-can-either-work-for-a-living-or-you-can-fly/) Len Morgan > [I'm 17 years old. I'm not a straight-A student or anything. Even so, I figured out how to make an Internet that they can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/i-m-17-years-old-i-m-not-a-straight-a-student-or-anything-even-so-i/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [I don't have a fear of flying; I have a fear of crashing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bob-thornton/i-don-t-have-a-fear-of-flying-i-have-a-fear-of-crashing/) [Billy Bob Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bob-thornton/) > [From computers to information technology to airplanes, it has been America's unique blend of republican government and free-market capitalism that has allowed us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-nethercutt/from-computers-to-information-technology-to-airplanes-it-has-been/) [George Nethercutt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-nethercutt/) > [I've been racking my brain. I've been trying to figure out how Bob Dole's luggage got on my airplane...I told the doctor, I said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-ve-been-racking-my-brain-i-ve-been-trying-to-figure-out-how-bob/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Sometimes life is like being stuck in the middle-seat of an airplane, next to a ridiculously fat person and a crying baby.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-life-is-like-being-stuck-in-the-middle-seat-of-an-airplane/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm sure the most favorite airplane in my career would still be the Sabre F86 cleft wing , which allowed me to be credited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-m-sure-the-most-favorite-airplane-in-my-career-would-still-be-the/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I do not use airplanes. They strike me as unsporting. You can have an automobile accident-and survive. You can be on a sinking ship-and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/i-do-not-use-airplanes-they-strike-me-as-unsporting-you-can-have-an/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [John Travolta said he sometimes lets his friends take control of his airplane even though they don't know what they're doing. Then Travolta said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/john-travolta-said-he-sometimes-lets-his-friends-take-control-of-his/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) Browse all 935 Airplane quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Some people can do one thing magnificently, like Michelangelo, and others make things like semiconductors or build 747 airplanes -- that type of work requires legions of people. 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