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Steve Jobs: Getting Fired at 30 Was the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me

By Steve Jobs · Founder Mindset · 1 min read

What's your biggest weakness? Arrogance — which knocks at the door whenever you're successful. Jobs was fired from Apple at 30. He says it was maybe the best thing that ever happened to him. There wouldn't be a Pixar without it.

Key Points

His biggest weakness: arrogance, which knocks at the door whenever you're successful
Getting fired from Apple at 30 was maybe the best thing that ever happened to him
There would be no Pixar if he hadn't been fired — life is mysterious and surprising

I was basically fired from Apple when I was 30. That was difficult when it happened. But maybe the best thing that ever happened to me.

Arrogance Knocks at the Door

Interviewer: What's your biggest weakness?

Jobs: I think all of us — all of us — need to be on guard against arrogance. Which knocks at the door whenever you're successful.

We all need to be on guard against arrogance. It knocks at the door whenever you're successful.

Fired at 30. Maybe the Best Thing.

Jobs: As you may know, I was basically fired from Apple when I was 30. And was invited to come back 12 years later. That was difficult when it happened. But maybe the best thing that ever happened to me.

There wouldn't be a Pixar if that hadn't happened. You just move on. Life goes on. And you learn from it.

Fired at 30. Maybe the best thing. There wouldn't be a Pixar without it.

What a Circle of Life

Interviewer: You were fired at 30, asked back at 42. Did you think — how sweet it is?

Jobs: No. I thought — what a circle of life. Life is just always mysterious and surprising. You never know what's around the next corner.

What a circle of life. You never know what's around the next corner.