--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Somewhere between the janitor and the…" description: "\"Somewhere between the janitor and the CEO, reasons stop mattering.\" — Steve Jobs" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da6/steve-jobs-307_ceo_somewhere-between-the-janitor-and-the-ce_805338.jpg" --- # Somewhere between the janitor and the CEO, reasons stop… ![“Somewhere between the janitor and the CEO, reasons stop mattering.” quote by Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da6/steve-jobs-307_ceo_somewhere-between-the-janitor-and-the-ce_805338.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da6/steve-jobs-307_ceo_somewhere-between-the-janitor-and-the-ce_805338.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da6/steve-jobs-307_ceo_somewhere-between-the-janitor-and-the-ce_805338.jpg) > “Somewhere between the janitor and the CEO, reasons stop mattering.” [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. Status is irrelevant; what matters is purpose and contribution. **In simple terms:** Position titles don’t define value; purpose does. Key Takeaway Prioritize purpose over title. Themes purpose humility value Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - Career advancement - team dynamics - personal fulfillment Key Concepts Existentialism organizational behavior Questions to Reflect On - What purpose drives your work? - How can you add value beyond your role? A Different Perspective Focus on title can distract from meaningful work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ceo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceo/) [Ceo Reasons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceo-reasons-6155119/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Janitor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/janitor/) [Janitor Ceo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/janitor-ceo-6155118/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Reasons Stop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasons-stop-2570892/) [Stop Mattering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-mattering-1180604/) ## Related quotes > [“It will never stop hurting but it will stop mattering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-hall/it-will-never-stop-hurting-but-it-will-stop-mattering/) [Alexis Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-hall/) > [Reasons why I stop replying: 1. I'm busy 2. You're boring 3. I'm mad 4. You replied with one word 5. I'm on twitter 6. I'm eating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/reasons-why-i-stop-replying-1-i-m-busy-2-you-re-boring-3-i-m-mad-4/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Reasons why I stop replying: 1) Im busy 2) Youre boring 3) Im mad 4) You replied with one word 5) Im on twitter 6) Im eating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-ramkran/reasons-why-i-stop-replying-1-im-busy-2-youre-boring-3-im-mad-4-you/) [Christine Ramkran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-ramkran/) > [If it makes you happy, do it. If it doesn't, than don't. Just remember you have your reasons as others do. STOP JUDGING, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/essence-gomez/if-it-makes-you-happy-do-it-if-it-doesn-t-than-don-t-just-remember/) [Essence\_gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/essence-gomez/) > [“Emotional pain, physical damage, financial weakness are the reasons to stop for a while and not forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/emotional-pain-physical-damage-financial-weakness-are-the-reasons-to/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Just imagine how fast, innovative and excellent your business will be once every single teammate - from the janitor to the executive - begins…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-s-sharma/just-imagine-how-fast-innovative-and-excellent-your-business-will-be/) [Robin S. 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Mug a banker and you might score a wallet containing a month's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/individually-the-poor-are-not-too-tempting-to-thieves-for-obvious/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [When I went to school, sex education was mainly muttered warnings about the janitor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-boyle/when-i-went-to-school-sex-education-was-mainly-muttered-warnings/) [Frankie Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-boyle/) > [If they had told me I was the janitor and would have to mop up and clean the toilets after the show in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/if-they-had-told-me-i-was-the-janitor-and-would-have-to-mop-up-and/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I remember my own life as a small boy, son of Jewish immigrants, in a janitor's flat on Orchard and Stanton streets on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-k-javits/i-remember-my-own-life-as-a-small-boy-son-of-jewish-immigrants-in-a/) [Jacob K. Javits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-k-javits/) ## 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 Ceo quotes > [When you're young and you have money, you become the CEO, automatically, of life, of your family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-haim/when-you-re-young-and-you-have-money-you-become-the-ceo-automatically/) [Corey Haim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-haim/) > [I took on the role of CEO, which involves directing the Management Team and overall day-to-day operations of 500.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-tsai/i-took-on-the-role-of-ceo-which-involves-directing-the-management/) [Christine Tsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-tsai/) > [I learned a lesson that I don't ever want to be a CEO.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilcox/i-learned-a-lesson-that-i-don-t-ever-want-to-be-a-ceo/) [Larry Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilcox/) > [Strategy is not a solo sport, even if you're the CEO.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-mckeown/strategy-is-not-a-solo-sport-even-if-you-re-the-ceo/) [Max McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-mckeown/) > [For any CEO that is skeptical at all: you have to create a social enterprise today!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-ahrendts/for-any-ceo-that-is-skeptical-at-all-you-have-to-create-a-social/) [Angela Ahrendts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-ahrendts/) > [I draw the line at some things. Some things I won't do for any amount of money. Like for instance, there's a couple of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crumb/i-draw-the-line-at-some-things-some-things-i-won-t-do-for-any-amount/) [Robert Crumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crumb/) > [I want to share that I had and still do, and a great relationship with Angela Ahrendts. She was the CEO of Burberry. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-e-glaser/i-want-to-share-that-i-had-and-still-do-and-a-great-relationship-with/) [Judith E. Glaser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-e-glaser/) > [If the CEO is not going to give you a fair chance, you're probably not going to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-goldsmith/if-the-ceo-is-not-going-to-give-you-a-fair-chance-you-re-probably-not/) [Marshall Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-goldsmith/) > [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/) > [Governor Romney may be running for CEO, I'm running for President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/governor-romney-may-be-running-for-ceo-i-m-running-for-president/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [Culture is what happens when the CEO isn't in the room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/culture-is-what-happens-when-the-ceo-isn-t-in-the-room/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [Political journalists love graduate student intelligence, the ability to make clever allusions in seminars, and in 1999-2000 they hassled George W. Bush for not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/political-journalists-love-graduate-student-intelligence-the-ability/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [The deck is still stacked in favor of those already at the top. And there's something wrong with that. There's something wrong when CEOs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/the-deck-is-still-stacked-in-favor-of-those-already-at-the-top-and/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [While they're in WWE, we absolutely have a health and wellness policy. I'll probably always say 'we,' even though I've resigned as the CEO.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-mcmahon/while-they-re-in-wwe-we-absolutely-have-a-health-and-wellness-policy/) [Linda McMahon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-mcmahon/) > [It doesn't make much sense and it's nil premium. They're going to have co-CEOs...which is a very uncomfortable structure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/it-doesn-t-make-much-sense-and-it-s-nil-premium-they-re-going-to-have/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) [Browse all 668 Ceo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceo/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Somewhere between the janitor and the CEO, reasons stop mattering.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steve Jobs" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/somewhere-between-the-janitor-and-the-ceo-reasons-stop-mattering/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ceo" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/somewhere-between-the-janitor-and-the-ceo-reasons-stop-mattering/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da6/steve-jobs-307_ceo_somewhere-between-the-janitor-and-the-ce_805338.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da6/steve-jobs-307_ceo_somewhere-between-the-janitor-and-the-ce_805338.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da6/steve-jobs-307_ceo_somewhere-between-the-janitor-and-the-ce_805338.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Somewhere between the janitor and the CEO, reasons stop mattering.” — 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": "Somewhere between the janitor and the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/somewhere-between-the-janitor-and-the-ceo-reasons-stop-mattering/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/somewhere-between-the-janitor-and-the-ceo-reasons-stop-mattering/#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 } } ] } ```