Recruit like Steve Jobs

“Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life,” Steve Jobs asked, “or come with me and change the world?”

John Sculley was at Pepsi and recalled it hit him like “a punch to the gut.”

At first reading, you’ll see the prompt as highlighting the historical insignificance (and unhealthy impact) of selling empty calories to customers. Few people will ever consider it a calling.

But the most important element of Jobs’ recruiting pitch is the grandeur of the mission he offered to the future President of Apple.

“Let’s go make a dent in the universe.”

Even in 1983, he cast an enormous vision for his firm. That banner had lots of room for talented people to join him.

Over the next two decades, Sculley, Johny Ive, Steve Wozniak, and countless other brilliant people produced the Macintosh, Macbook, iPod, iPhone, and more.

What’s your mission? What’s your vision?

Why would the most talented people you know consider working for you?

Figure that out, or your best employees may just see you as sugar water.

Watch this video about Jobs.

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