Steve Jobs’s commencement speech at Stanford University in 2005 remains one of the most iconic moments in motivational addresses. Standing before a captivated audience of 23,000, Jobs chose an attire that reflected his unconventional spirit – jeans and sandals beneath his formal robe. During his speech, he imparted a piece of wisdom that struck a chord with many:
“You’ve got to find what you love…. [T]he only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking, and don’t settle.”
This profound advice was met with a standing ovation, underscoring its resonance with the graduating class. Jobs’s speech covered a range of life lessons, but his emphasis on pursuing one’s passion left an indelible mark.
The Birth of the Passion Hypothesis
As the official press release described the event, Jobs “urged graduates to pursue their dreams.” The impact of this speech was so profound that soon after its delivery, an unofficial video surfaced on YouTube. This video rapidly went viral, accumulating over 3.5 million views. When Stanford officially posted their video, it garnered an additional 3 million views.
The comments on these clips demonstrated a common sentiment – the importance of loving one’s work. Viewers encapsulated their reactions in various ways:
What set this speech apart was its profound message, particularly Jobs’s emphasis on the significance of being passionate about one’s work. Comment sections on these videos buzzed with viewers sharing their heartfelt reactions and personal takeaways:
- “The most valuable lesson is to find your purpose, follow your passions…. Life is too short to be doing what you think you have to do.”
- “Follow your passions—life is for the living.”
- “Passion is the engine to living your life.”
- “[It’s] passion for your work that counts.”
- ” ‘Don’t Settle.’ Amen.”
Millions of people who viewed this speech found resonance in Steve Jobs’s endorsement of a career advice concept that has come to be known as the Passion Hypothesis.
Defining the Passion Hypothesis
The Passion Hypothesis, a concept introduced in Cal Newport‘s book So Good They Can’t Ignore You, is woven into modern American society’s fabric. At its core, it is a simple yet powerful idea: to attain true occupational happiness, one must first identify one’s passion and then find a vocation that harmonizes with this fervor. Ingrained in our culture, this narrative resonates particularly with individuals who have the privilege of choosing their career paths. It encourages us to applaud those who fearlessly chase their passions while disparaging those who opt for conventional, safe routes.
The Prevalence of the Passion Hypothesis
To appreciate the sheer ubiquity of the Passion Hypothesis, one only needs to spend a few minutes perusing the career advice section of a bookstore. Once you wade through the technical manuals on résumé writing and job interview etiquette, you’ll realize that nearly every book promotes the concept in some form. Titles such as Career Match: Connecting Who You Are with What You’ll Love to Do and Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type tantalize readers with the promise that their dream job is but a few personality tests away.
Recently, a more assertive version of the Passion Hypothesis has emerged. This faction dismisses traditional “cubicle jobs” as inherently unfulfilling and argues that true passion can only be discovered by embarking on an independent, entrepreneurial journey. This line of thought is represented by titles like Escape from Cubicle Nation, which, as one review aptly puts it, “teaches the tricks behind finding what makes you purr.”
The Evolution of the Passion Hypothesis
In recent years, the Passion Hypothesis has evolved, adopting a more assertive stance. This faction posits that traditional “cubicle jobs,” by their very nature, are intrinsically unfulfilling. Instead, they contend that genuine passion can only be unearthed by venturing into entrepreneurship and independence. This perspective is exemplified by titles such as “Escape from Cubicle Nation.” As one insightful review succinctly encapsulates, this book “teaches the tricks behind finding what makes you purr.”
The Unified Message
Whether conveyed through books, full-time bloggers, professional counselors, or self-proclaimed gurus, the overarching message remains consistent: the path to happiness in one’s career lies in following one’s passion. This sentiment has become the de facto motto of the career advice field. A prominent career counselor aptly summed it up by saying, “Do what you love, and the money will follow.”
The Conundrum of the Passion Hypothesis
However, a critical conundrum arises when we delve beneath the surface of these heartwarming slogans and embark on a deeper exploration. The matter becomes considerably more intricate when we ask how passionate individuals like Steve Jobs truly embarked on their journeys or consult with scientific studies on workplace contentment. Threads of nuance emerge, threads that, once tugged, gradually unravel the tightly woven fabric of the Passion Hypothesis. This unraveling process leads to a disconcerting revelation: “Follow your passion” might be terrible advice.
Setting the Stage for a Paradigm Shift:
During the transition from graduate school, Newport began to unravel these threads, culminating in his complete rejection of the Passion Hypothesis. This pivotal moment ignited his quest to unearth the true factors that underpin the creation of fulfilling work. Rule #1 – Don’t follow your passion, the cornerstone of his argument against the Passion Hypothesis, as it lays the foundation for all that follows. To embark on this journey, we must return to where it all began – the real story of Steve Jobs and the inception of Apple Computer.
Do What Steve Jobs Did, Not What He Said
If we were to encounter a young Steve Jobs in the years preceding the founding of Apple Computer, we would not perceive him as someone fervently passionate about establishing a technology company. While at Reed College, an esteemed liberal arts institution in Oregon, he cultivated long hair and embraced a counterculture lifestyle, often walking barefoot. Unlike his contemporaries who harbored a deep interest in business or electronics, Jobs pursued studies in Western history and dance, occasionally dipping into Eastern mysticism.
The Unconventional Path of Steve Jobs
Picture meeting a youthful Steve Jobs in the period leading up to the birth of Apple Computer, and you’d be hard-pressed to peg him as an individual ardently dedicated to launching a technology company. During his stint at Reed College, a prestigious liberal arts bastion in Oregon, Jobs sported long hair and embraced a non-conformist lifestyle, frequently wandering barefoot. In stark contrast to his counterparts, who harbored a genuine fascination with business and electronics, Jobs immersed himself in Western history, dance, and sporadic forays into Eastern mysticism.
A College Journey Less Traveled
Jobs’s college journey took an unconventional turn when he dropped out after just one year. However, he lingered on campus for a period, residing on floors and subsisting on complimentary meals at the local Hare Krishna temple. His deviation from the norm bestowed upon him a sort of campus celebrity status, earning him the label of a “freak” in the parlance of the era.
Eventually, Jobs wearied of his penniless existence during the early 1970s and returned to his family’s abode in California. There, he ingeniously secured a night-shift position at Atari, the pioneering video game company, enticed by an ad in the San Jose Mercury News that promised both fun and financial gain.
A Journey of Exploration and Self-Discovery
During this phase of his life, Jobs divided his time between his role at Atari and the All-One Farm, a rural commune north of San Francisco. At one juncture, he abandoned his Atari job for several months to embark on a spiritual odyssey through India. Upon returning to the United States, he embarked on a rigorous training regimen at the Los Altos Zen Center near his home.
The Genesis of Apple Computer
In 1974, following his return from India, Jobs crossed paths with a local engineer and entrepreneur named Alex Kamradt. Kamradt had initiated a computer time-sharing venture, christened Call-in Computer, and sought the expertise of Steve Wozniak to design a terminal device for clients accessing his central computer.
Wozniak, a consummate electronics enthusiast with formal academic training, lacked the inclination for business matters. Therefore, he entrusted Jobs, a close friend, with logistical details. Everything appeared to be proceeding smoothly until the autumn of 1975.
Jobs’s Departure and the Unexpected Windfall
In a surprising turn of events, Jobs left for an extended period, neglecting to inform Kamradt of his absence. Upon his return, he found himself replaced.
The Birth of a Tech Giant
During this seemingly unremarkable venture, Apple Computer took its initial steps. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak initially conceived the idea of designing circuit boards for kit computers that hobbyists could assemble at home. The plan was to manufacture these boards for $25 each and sell them for $50.
After accounting for expenses such as board printing and a $1,500 fee for the initial design, Jobs envisioned selling one hundred units, which would yield a tidy profit of $1,000. Jobs and Wozniak retained their regular jobs at this point, and this venture was intended to serve as a low-risk endeavor that occupied their spare time.
An Unforeseen Opportunity
However, fate had other plans. Steve Jobs, wearing his signature barefoot attire, ventured to the Byte Shop, a pioneering computer store managed by Paul Terrell in Mountain View. Jobs offered to supply Terrell with the circuit boards they had designed.
However, Terrell was not interested in mere circuit boards; he desired fully assembled computers. He made an offer – $500 for each unit and a requirement of fifty units as quickly as they could deliver them. Jobs seized this unexpected opportunity, setting out to secure the necessary startup capital.
In this lucky windfall, Apple Computer found its inception. As Jeffrey S. Young emphasizes in his meticulously researched 1988 biography, “Steve Jobs: The Journey Is the Reward,” their plans were modest and lacked grandiose ambitions of conquering the world.
The Messy Lessons of Jobs
Steve Jobs’s story is a compelling example of the complexities underlying the pursuit of fulfilling work. If he had adhered strictly to his advice, advocating the pursuit of only that which one is passionate about, he might have found himself today as one of the revered teachers at the Los Altos Zen Center.
However, Jobs did not follow this straightforward counsel. The genesis of Apple Computer, far from being driven by passion, resulted from a fortunate turn of events. This modest venture unexpectedly skyrocketed into the stratosphere of success.
The Limitations of Passion as a Guiding Principle
While Steve Jobs undoubtedly developed a deep passion for his work as his career unfolded, this revelation poses a fundamental question—is passion the sole arbiter of vocational fulfillment? Simply enjoying one’s work is undoubtedly desirable. Still, this realization merely scratches the surface and doesn’t provide substantive guidance on the essential question we yearn to answer: How can we discover work that we will come to love?
Should we, like Jobs, eschew the pursuit of a fixed career and instead dabble in numerous small endeavors, awaiting that one fortuitous breakthrough? Does the specific field we explore hold significance, and how do we discern when to persist with a project and when to pivot?
In essence, Steve Jobs’s narrative leaves us not with concrete answers but rather with an array of profound questions. Perhaps the only unequivocal lesson it imparts is that, at least for Jobs himself, the seemingly straightforward advice to “follow your passion” did not prove particularly illuminating.