Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview
, subject: Steve Jobs interview film, 2012
In Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview, Jobs compares talented teams to rocks in a tumbler that polish ideas and one another.
About this work
Most of the interview was shelved after brief excerpts appeared in a television series, then recovered and released in 2012. Jobs discusses Apple's early years, his career setbacks, and his view of the technology industry's future.
Why explore it
Best if you work with talented peers and want Jobs's view of how friction polishes ideas and people, and why care for the work matters.
Key themes
- Friction polishes both the ideas and the people
- Authenticity shows in care for the work
Evidence and original sources
Sources: official Founders episodes — #233, #297, #299, #398
episode #398 reuses discussion from episode #299. For each evidence type, the strongest qualifying component counts once per discussion. Source publication and scoring origin are separate.
This record is supported by 5 public evidence rows linked to original Founders episodes.
- Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Max Levchin (PayPal) — David applies Jobs's rock-tumbler metaphor from Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview to teams of talented people whose friction and collaboration polish both their ideas and one another.
- Yvon Chouinard (Patagonia) — David applies Jobs's just-ask lesson, which he tentatively attributes to The Lost Interview, to Patagonia leader Kris McDivitt's practice of asking experienced people for help.
- Steve Jobs (Make Something Wonderful) — David draws a founder theme of authenticity and care in one's work from a Lost Interview quote.
- Steve Jobs In His Own Words (Make Something Wonderful) — David applies the interview’s contrast between carefully made and pedestrian products to the products and companies listeners build.