A Masterclass in Making the Ordinary Feel Revolutionary
Right, then. Pour yourself something decent – perhaps that fancy coffee you’ve been saving – because we’re about to embark on something rather spectacular. We’re going to dissect, analyse, and rebuild the linguistic DNA of one of history’s most captivating communicators.
The Foundation: Understanding the Jobs Mindset
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of writing like Steve Jobs, we need to understand something rather crucial: Jobs didn’t just communicate differently; he thought differently. And this, dear reader, is where most people trying to mimic his style go completely wrong.
The Reality Distortion Field: More Than Just Charisma
Everyone bangs on about Jobs’s famous ‘reality distortion field’ as if it were some sort of magical forcefield of charisma. But it’s far more fascinating than that. It was his ability to:
- See things not as they are, but as they could be
- Completely ignore the constraints that others consider immutable
- Transform his vision into an infectious narrative that makes others believe the impossible is merely inevitable
The Architectural Elements of Jobs-Style Writing
1. The Power of Theatrical Structure
Jobs approached every piece of communication as if it were a West End production. Here’s how to structure your writing accordingly:
The Setup
Begin with a problem or limitation that everyone accepts as normal. Make it personal. Make it frustrating. Make your readers nod their heads in recognition.
Wrong way: “Mobile phones are complicated.” Jobs way: “Why is it that every time we want to do something simple on our phones, we have to navigate through endless menus and tiny buttons? It’s maddening. It’s wrong. And we thought there had to be a better way.”
The Tension
Build anticipation by highlighting the gap between what is and what could be. Create a sense of possibility mixed with frustration.
The Resolution
Deliver your solution with the dramatic weight of a theatrical reveal. But – and this is absolutely crucial – make it seem both revolutionary and blindingly obvious at the same time.
2. The Language Pattern
Jobs’s language followed a distinct pattern that you can actually map out. Let’s break it down:
Absolute Statements
- Use definitive language
- Eliminate hedging words
- Embrace superlatives
Instead of: “We think this is quite a good solution.” Write: “This is the best solution we’ve ever created.”
The Tricolon of Impact
Jobs religiously used the power of three in his communications. But not just any three points – they followed a specific escalating pattern:
- The Foundation (Something familiar)
- The Bridge (Something intriguing)
- The Breakthrough (Something revolutionary)
Example: “It’s a phone. It’s an iPod. It’s a breakthrough internet communications device.”
3. The Rhythm of Revelation
Jobs’s writing had a distinctive rhythm that you can master by following these principles:
Sentence Structure
- Start with short, punchy sentences
- Build to medium-length explanations
- Culminate in longer, emotion-laden revelations
- Return to short, dramatic conclusions
Like this:
“Look at this. It’s beautiful. When we set out to create the iPhone, we didn’t want to make just another phone – we wanted to create something that would fundamentally change the way we interact with technology. Something so profound, yet so natural, that you’d wonder how you ever lived without it. And we did it.”
4. The Art of Contrasts
Jobs was absolutely brilliant at using contrasts to make his points more powerful. Here’s how:
The Setup/Payoff Structure
- First, paint a picture of the status quo (make it sound properly dreary)
- Then, introduce your solution (make it sound like salvation)
- Finally, bridge the gap with a simple, elegant explanation
Example: “Every tablet on the market is complicated, confusing, and frankly, a bit rubbish. They’re filled with features nobody wants and missing the ones everybody needs. iPad changes everything. It’s simple, intuitive, and magical. How? By focusing on what matters most: the experience.”
Advanced Techniques
1. The Pause Architecture
Learn to use pauses in your writing. They create tension, anticipation, and emphasis.
Like this.
Exactly like this.
2. The Revelation Cascade
Structure your big reveals as a series of smaller revelations that build to a crescendo:
“This device has amazing battery life. It has incredible speed. It has the most advanced display we’ve ever built. But that’s not the really amazing part. The really amazing part is how all of this comes together to create something entirely new.”
3. The Personal Connection
Jobs had an uncanny ability to make massive technological achievements feel personally relevant to each individual. He did this by:
- Using “you” and “your” frequently
- Relating features to everyday experiences
- Creating emotional connections to technical capabilities
The Secret Sauce: Conviction
Here’s the thing about writing like Steve Jobs: you can master every technique I’ve mentioned, but if you’re missing this final ingredient, it all falls flat.
The secret ingredient is conviction.
Absolute, unwavering, almost irrational conviction.
When Jobs wrote or spoke about something, he believed – truly believed – that it would change the world. That it would make people’s lives better. That it mattered.
Putting It All Together
Let’s see how all these elements work together in a simple paragraph:
“Today’s cameras are complicated. They’re confusing. They’re holding back your creativity. [The Problem]
But what if… [The Pause]
What if you could have a camera that understood what you want before you did? A camera that didn’t just take pictures, but helped you create art? A camera that was so intuitive, it felt like an extension of your imagination? [The Build-up]
That’s exactly what we’ve built. [The Simple Statement]
This is the new iCamera. And it changes everything.” [The Jobs Finale]
The Final Truth
Here’s something rather fascinating: writing like Steve Jobs isn’t actually about the writing at all. It’s about seeing the world differently. It’s about believing in the possibility of magic in the mundane. It’s about having the courage to declare something insanely great and the conviction to make others believe it too.
And one more thing…
(You knew that was coming, didn’t you?)
The truly brilliant thing about Jobs’s communication style wasn’t just that it worked – it’s that it worked because it was authentic. He genuinely believed in the power of technology to change lives, one beautifully designed product at a time.
So perhaps the real secret to writing like Steve Jobs isn’t about mastering his techniques at all.
It’s about finding something you believe in just as deeply as he did.
And then having the courage to tell that story with the conviction it deserves.
Because in the end, that’s what makes writing truly insanely great.
