Steve Jobs, the more than legendary co-founder of Apple, is known for many things: his innovative vision, his unique leadership style, his great quotes and his obsession with perfection. This last characteristic is perhaps the one that most defines its legacy in the world of technology..
Precisely, a particularly curious story of this obsession is the one related to the development of the first iPod (2001) and an aquarium full of water that is worth knowing.
As you already know, the creation of this novelty was a key milestone in the history of technology. However, like many innovations, it was not a process without some obstacles along the way.
When Apple engineers presented the first prototype of the iPod to Steve Jobs, they were eager to receive his approval. They imagined that this revolutionary device, destined to change the way music is listened to, would be well received by the figure behind this great company, but, spoilerit was not so.
The day Steve Jobs defied the laws of physics in an aquarium to change the iPod that would spark an entire revolution
Steve Jobs decided to take the prototype in his hands, began to examine it very carefully and observed its size, weight and how it was designed in general. After a brief but intense analysis, his verdict was more than clear: the iPod was too big.
I was not satisfied with the dimensions of this great novelty, as I wanted the device to be as thin and compact as possible. Every millimeter inside counted and had to be taken advantage of.
As expected, the engineers, who had worked like never before to develop this prototype, were surprised and, as could not be otherwise, quite discouraged.
They had invested a great deal of time and effort into this project, and believed they had reached the limit of what was possible in terms of downsizing. They explained to Jobs that they couldn’t make it smaller without compromising the functionality of the device, but he wasn’t convinced..
It was at that moment that the episode that would become a famous anecdote in Apple history occurred. Steve Jobs got up from his chair, took the iPod prototype in his hands and, without saying a word, walked towards an aquarium full of water that was in the living room. As the workers watched astonished, he dropped the device into the aquarium.
As it sank, air bubbles began to leave the iPod and rise to the surface. Jobs pointed to them and said, “These are air bubbles, which means there is space inside. Make it smaller.”
Mention that the story was originally posted on Quora by former Apple employee Amit Chaudhary, who explained this whole moment with Steve Jobs and how he finally got Apple engineers to downsize.
As you can see and with a simple gesture, he had demonstrated his commitment to perfection in a way that no one would forget. The engineers returned to their work with a new objective that was apparently possible, although not simple. They knew they had to find a solution to reduce the size of the iPod without compromising its functionality..
Of course, you already know the result and this first iPod became an icon of the technology industry thanks to Jobs’ determination to achieve perfection in the design and functionality of his company’s products. As he once said: “Quality is more important than quantity. A house full of things that don’t work well is a messy house.”