--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Jobs insisted that Apple focus on just…" description: "\"Jobs insisted that Apple focus on just two or three priorities at a time. “There is no one better at turning off the noise that is going on around him,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/848/walter-isaacson-384_apples_jobs-insisted-that-apple-focus-on-just-t_2478914.png" --- # Jobs insisted that Apple focus on just two or three… ![“Jobs insisted that Apple focus on just two or three priorities at a time. “There is no one better at turning off the noise that is going on around him,” Cook said. “That allows him to focus on a few things and say no to many things. Few people are really good at that.” quote by Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/848/walter-isaacson-384_apples_jobs-insisted-that-apple-focus-on-just-t_2478914.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/848/walter-isaacson-384_apples_jobs-insisted-that-apple-focus-on-just-t_2478914.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/848/walter-isaacson-384_apples_jobs-insisted-that-apple-focus-on-just-t_2478914.png) > “Jobs insisted that Apple focus on just two or three priorities at a time. “There is no one better at turning off the noise that is going on around him,” Cook said. “That allows him to focus on a few things and say no to many things. Few people are really good at that.” [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 prioritized a few key goals, filtering out distractions to maintain clarity and impact. **In simple terms:** Focus on few priorities, ignore noise. Key Takeaway Prioritize, say no, stay focused. Themes focus prioritization leadership Mood inspirational practical Type leadership business When to use this quote - business planning - project management - personal goal setting Key Concepts strategic focus decision making productivity Questions to Reflect On - What criteria do you use to choose priorities? - How do you handle pressure to expand focus? A Different Perspective Too many priorities can dilute effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apple Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apple-focus-840604/) [Apples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apples/) [Cooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cooks/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Focus Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus-just-375612/) [Focus Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus-things/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Noise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noise/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Priorities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priorities/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) ## Related quotes > [“Jobs also used the meetings to enforce focus. At Robert Friedland's farm, his job had been to prune the apple trees so that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/jobs-also-used-the-meetings-to-enforce-focus-at-robert-friedland-s/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [We're very simple people at Apple. We focus on making the world's best products and enriching people's lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/we-re-very-simple-people-at-apple-we-focus-on-making-the-world-s-best/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [In many ways, Apple CEO Tim Cook has been saying that and more for many years. He's said you don't have to choose between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-sydell/in-many-ways-apple-ceo-tim-cook-has-been-saying-that-and-more-for/) [Laura Sydell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-sydell/) > [Death smells like homemade applesauce as it cooks on the stove. It is not the strangling scent of illness. It is not fear. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-corrie/death-smells-like-homemade-applesauce-as-it-cooks-on-the-stove-it-is/) [Rachel Corrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-corrie/) > [The apples stewed with prunes are excellent, except for the prunes, I won't eat prunes myself. Well, there was one time when Hobb chopped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-apples-stewed-with-prunes-are-excellent-except-for-the-prunes-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I'm in the ring my main focus is just to get the job done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gervonta-davis/when-i-m-in-the-ring-my-main-focus-is-just-to-get-the-job-done/) [Gervonta Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gervonta-davis/) > [I think so many times in our society we focus so much on just the end result; when we finally reach that point we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/i-think-so-many-times-in-our-society-we-focus-so-much-on-just-the-end/) [Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/) > [I focus just on the important issues, and I know I can make a lot more progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divock-origi/i-focus-just-on-the-important-issues-and-i-know-i-can-make-a-lot-more/) [Divock Origi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divock-origi/) > [My focus is just taking every opponent and focusing on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-blaydes/my-focus-is-just-taking-every-opponent-and-focusing-on-them/) [Curtis Blaydes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-blaydes/) > [If you've lost focus, just sit down and be still. Take the idea and rock it to and fro. Keep some of it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/if-you-ve-lost-focus-just-sit-down-and-be-still-take-the-idea-and/) [Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) > [“The world is a busy, hectic place and the need to slow down and focus on one thing and one thing only has never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-de-la-mora/the-world-is-a-busy-hectic-place-and-the-need-to-slow-down-and-focus/) [Sergio de la Mora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-de-la-mora/) > [I always say if I'm not good at something it's just because I've not had time to focus on it... it's just uncrafted, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sheen/i-always-say-if-i-m-not-good-at-something-it-s-just-because-i-ve-not/) [Michael Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sheen/) > [There was a time I used to focus on just being skinny, and now I really think about how can I be strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-long/there-was-a-time-i-used-to-focus-on-just-being-skinny-and-now-i/) [Jessica Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-long/) > [When I write, I don't really focus on duets or anything like that, or whether I'm going to feature this or that rapper. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/when-i-write-i-don-t-really-focus-on-duets-or-anything-like-that-or/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [I do focus my energy on music, but it's just the way that the industry works. I kind of have to take what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-kravitz/i-do-focus-my-energy-on-music-but-it-s-just-the-way-that-the-industry/) [Zoe Kravitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-kravitz/) ## 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": "Jobs insisted that Apple focus on just two or three priorities at a time. “There is no one better at turning off the noise that is going on around him,” Cook said. “That allows him to focus on a few things and say no to many things. 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