--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ed Woolard, his mentor on the Apple…" description: "\"Ed Woolard, his mentor on the Apple board, pressed Jobs for more than two years to drop the interim in front of his CEO title. Not only was Jobs refusi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d6/walter-isaacson-384_apples_ed-woolard-his-mentor-on-the-apple-board_2628707.png" --- # Ed Woolard, his mentor on the Apple board, pressed Jobs… ![“Ed Woolard, his mentor on the Apple board, pressed Jobs for more than two years to drop the interim in front of his CEO title. Not only was Jobs refusing to commit himself, but he was baffling everyone by taking only $1 a year in pay and no stock options. I make 50 cents for showing up, he liked…” quote by Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d6/walter-isaacson-384_apples_ed-woolard-his-mentor-on-the-apple-board_2628707.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d6/walter-isaacson-384_apples_ed-woolard-his-mentor-on-the-apple-board_2628707.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d6/walter-isaacson-384_apples_ed-woolard-his-mentor-on-the-apple-board_2628707.png) > “Ed Woolard, his mentor on the Apple board, pressed Jobs for more than two years to drop the interim in front of his CEO title. Not only was Jobs refusing to commit himself, but he was baffling everyone by taking only $1 a year in pay and no stock options. I make 50 cents for showing up, he liked to joke, and the other 50 cents is based on performance.” [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Jobs' unconventional compensation highlighted his focus on purpose over profit, challenging traditional corporate expectations. **In simple terms:** Jobs valued purpose more than money. Key Takeaway Consider aligning work with personal values. Themes leadership values compensation innovation Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - startup culture - executive negotiations - personal finance - career decisions Key Concepts entrepreneurial mindset non‑monetary motivation Questions to Reflect On - How would you balance purpose and financial security? - What incentives truly motivate you? A Different Perspective His low pay could be seen as unrealistic for most employees. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apples/) [Boards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boards/) [Cents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cents/) [Ceo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceo/) [Ceo Title](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceo-title-2171846/) [Commit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commit/) [Interim Ceo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interim-ceo-2171844/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Mentor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentor/) [Mentor Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentor-apple-2171842/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) [Pressed Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pressed-jobs-2171845/) [Showing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/showing-up/) [Stock options](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stock-options/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Titles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/titles/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Two years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-years/) [Woolard Mentor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woolard-mentor-2171843/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [The number of CEOs voluntarily leaving their jobs or being forced out spiked early. Many of those companies will be turning to an interim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/the-number-of-ceos-voluntarily-leaving-their-jobs-or-being-forced-out/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) > [Software-industry battles are fought by highly paid and out-of-shape nerds furiously pounding computer keyboards while they guzzle diet Coke. The stakes aren't very dramatic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/software-industry-battles-are-fought-by-highly-paid-and-out-of-shape/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [Many stock options in the corporate world have worked in exactly that fashion: they have gained in value simply because management retained earnings, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/many-stock-options-in-the-corporate-world-have-worked-in-exactly-that/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Quoting Demosthenes, 'For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true.' I would rather make money playing a piano in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/quoting-demosthenes-for-what-each-man-wishes-that-he-also-believes-to/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Black-Scholes is a know-nothing system. If you know nothing about value - only price - then Black-Scholes is a pretty good guess at what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/black-scholes-is-a-know-nothing-system-if-you-know-nothing-about/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [It is far better to keep the enemy close, by bribing him with stock options, than to have him out in the wild, foraging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/it-is-far-better-to-keep-the-enemy-close-by-bribing-him-with-stock/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [If bankers can push the loans and make more profits for the bank, they get paid higher bonuses. They often also get stock options.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/if-bankers-can-push-the-loans-and-make-more-profits-for-the-bank-they/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [Successful trading depends on the 3M's - Mind, Method and Money. Beginners focus on analysis, but professionals operate in a three dimensional space. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-elder/successful-trading-depends-on-the-3m-s-mind-method-and-money/) [Alexander Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-elder/) > [The depths of the Depression. You didn't ask what the job was, what the pay was, you didn't ask about stock options, or -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-linkletter/the-depths-of-the-depression-you-didn-t-ask-what-the-job-was-what-the/) [Art Linkletter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-linkletter/) > [In confusing stock options with ownership, corporations confuse trappings with substance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/in-confusing-stock-options-with-ownership-corporations-confuse/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) > [We believe the super stock option will become a reality before the end of 2000, ... It's a good idea whose time has come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/we-believe-the-super-stock-option-will-become-a-reality-before-the/) [John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/) > [As for the employees, the payment in stock options revives, somewhat ironically, the old anarchist ideology of self-management of the company, as they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manuel-castells/as-for-the-employees-the-payment-in-stock-options-revives-somewhat/) [Manuel Castells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manuel-castells/) > [One of the best programmers I ever hired had only a High School degree; he's produced a lot of great software, has his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-norvig/one-of-the-best-programmers-i-ever-hired-had-only-a-high-school/) [Peter Norvig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-norvig/) > [I tried paying at a restaurant with stock options. It didn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-conrad/i-tried-paying-at-a-restaurant-with-stock-options-it-didn-t-work/) [Parker Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-conrad/) > [If you work for Google or Apple, stock options give you a chance to share in the increasing value of the company. In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/if-you-work-for-google-or-apple-stock-options-give-you-a-chance-to/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) ## More by Walter Isaacson > [“he never finished any of the works he began because, so sublime was his idea of art, he saw faults even in the things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/he-never-finished-any-of-the-works-he-began-because-so-sublime-was/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [He had the attitude that he could do anything, and therefore so can you. He put his life in my hands. So that made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/he-had-the-attitude-that-he-could-do-anything-and-therefore-so-can/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [But the point is to get a whole new generation of people and people in general more re-engaged in news, and this has happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/but-the-point-is-to-get-a-whole-new-generation-of-people-and-people/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“There was never a good knife made of bad steel ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/there-was-never-a-good-knife-made-of-bad-steel/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“Jobs's intensity was also evident in his ability to focus. He would set priorities, aim his laser attention on them, and filter out distractions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/jobs-s-intensity-was-also-evident-in-his-ability-to-focus-he-would/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“Atop the brochure McKenna put a maxim, often attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, that would become the defining precept of Jobs’s design philosophy: “Simplicity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/atop-the-brochure-mckenna-put-a-maxim-often-attributed-to-leonardo-da/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“The company began attracting influential new investors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/the-company-began-attracting-influential-new-investors/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“You have to remain critically vigilant.” Question every premise, challenge conventional wisdom, and never accept the truth of something merely because everyone else views…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/you-have-to-remain-critically-vigilant-question-every-premise/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“in 1996, bought NeXT, bringing Jobs back. BILL ATKINSON. Early Apple employee, developed graphics for the Macintosh. CHRISANN BRENNAN. Jobs’s girlfriend at Homestead High,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/in-1996-bought-next-bringing-jobs-back-bill-atkinson-early-apple/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“The last time there was this much excitement about a tablet, it had some commandments written on it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/the-last-time-there-was-this-much-excitement-about-a-tablet-it-had/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“If you want to live your life in a creative way, as an artist, you have to not look back too much. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/if-you-want-to-live-your-life-in-a-creative-way-as-an-artist-you-have/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“There was a key lesson for innovation: Understand which industries are symbiotic so that you can capitalize on how they will spur each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/there-was-a-key-lesson-for-innovation-understand-which-industries-are/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“CEO Gil Amelio stumbled. Ellison may have been baffled when Jobs insisted that he was not motivated by money, but it was partly true.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/ceo-gil-amelio-stumbled-ellison-may-have-been-baffled-when-jobs/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“Once a year Jobs took his most valuable employees on a retreat, which he called " The Top 100." They were picked based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/once-a-year-jobs-took-his-most-valuable-employees-on-a-retreat-which/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“An object will display the greatest difference of light and shade when it is seen in the strongest light. . . . But this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/an-object-will-display-the-greatest-difference-of-light-and-shade/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) [Explore all 593 Walter Isaacson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) ## More Apples quotes > [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 named my son Noah for the same reason Chris Martin named his apple: we're asses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/i-named-my-son-noah-for-the-same-reason-chris-martin-named-his-apple/) [Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/) > [I think, however, that Astaire's coordination is better than Kelly's... his sense of rhythm is uncanny. Kelly, on the other hand, is the stronger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyd-charisse/i-think-however-that-astaire-s-coordination-is-better-than-kelly-s/) [Cyd Charisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyd-charisse/) > [“In the back of the fridge I checked out some stewed apples destined to fester. I examined them closely and reckoned they had only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-brown/in-the-back-of-the-fridge-i-checked-out-some-stewed-apples-destined/) [Helen Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-brown/) > [Fortunately, like most children, I had learned what is most valuable, most indispensable for life before school years began, taught by apple trees, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/fortunately-like-most-children-i-had-learned-what-is-most-valuable/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [I'm not only a fan of Apple products, I have stock in the company. I think Steve Jobs has started one of the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-rock/i-m-not-only-a-fan-of-apple-products-i-have-stock-in-the-company-i/) [Kid Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-rock/) > [I love to eat an apple after a meal, just to cleanse my teeth - they always look polished afterwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-zeta-jones/i-love-to-eat-an-apple-after-a-meal-just-to-cleanse-my-teeth-they/) [Catherine Zeta-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-zeta-jones/) > [I have a friend who is a juggler. If I'm at his house, I don't like to take food from him, if it's in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-have-a-friend-who-is-a-juggler-if-i-m-at-his-house-i-don-t-like-to/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [A comely sight indeed it is to see, a world of blossoms on an apple tree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/a-comely-sight-indeed-it-is-to-see-a-world-of-blossoms-on-an-apple/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [Like a satellite in orbit, Apple is perpetually falling. It just happens to miss Earth every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-dediu/like-a-satellite-in-orbit-apple-is-perpetually-falling-it-just/) [Horace Dediu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-dediu/) > [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/) > [Positive thinking is so firmly enshrined in our culture that knocking it is a little like attacking motherhood or apple pie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/srikumar-rao/positive-thinking-is-so-firmly-enshrined-in-our-culture-that-knocking/) [Srikumar Rao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/srikumar-rao/) > [Therein lies the rub of a place like Berkeley Bowl. You get seduced by an 11-pound apple that turns out to be a fake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jad-abumrad/therein-lies-the-rub-of-a-place-like-berkeley-bowl-you-get-seduced-by/) [Jad Abumrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jad-abumrad/) > [Now it is autumn and the falling fruit and the long journey towards oblivion. The apples falling like great drops of dew to bruise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/now-it-is-autumn-and-the-falling-fruit-and-the-long-journey-towards/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [The next time you're looking at a charity, don't ask about the rate of their overhead; ask about the scale of their dreams -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pallotta/the-next-time-you-re-looking-at-a-charity-don-t-ask-about-the-rate-of-2/) [Dan Pallotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pallotta/) [Browse all 1,262 Apples quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apples/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ed Woolard, his mentor on the Apple board, pressed Jobs for more than two years to drop the interim in front of his CEO title. Not only was Jobs refusing to commit himself, but he was baffling everyone by taking only $1 a year in pay and no stock options. 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