I think there's something ""illogical"" or non linear in these cases (jobs, musk, whomever). Some people, and I can include myself, would happily 3x more than what the market or society estimates is normal if I'm in a context and project that I like.
Even suffering nasty behavior. Now I'm sure that the minute Jobs would lose the original value people saw in him, his drive, his aesthetics, product-ethos .. they'd bail out in a second.
I'm even pretty sure I despise average boring friction-full project even more. I don't have a lot of mileage, but when I see people doing fluff just to put their name in a document, on top of a stack of other similar here-to-justify-a-raise names it sucks life out of me (not for their individual behavior but the overall project).
ps: similarly, some line of work, health, firefighters is full of people who can tolerate insane difficulties, because what they achieve is still more satisfying to their mind.
> he had a knack for hiring and inspiring world class talent
Never said the guy didn't have any good traits. Obviously, Apple and NeXT had lots of great people work there.
> I'd work for anyone with that ability.
Yeah you lost me. I won't work for someone who can't admit fault and treats their employees like dirt. I don't care how good they are at convincing people to work for them.
You should have priorities in your life. "Not being abused" should be higher than "being able to say you've worked with the greatest talent."
I think i'm personally willing to make some concessions on personality in exchange for doing something like building the future. Does the end justify the means, sometimes?
Kind of like the instructors at my workout classes, I don't always like them, they're not always that nice but they definitely make me better.
The instructors may be tough, in order to motivate you. But there's a difference between being tough and being mean. I would imagine your instructors wouldn't talk down to you outside of class.
Working for an abusive boss can seriously take a toll on your mental health.
And then the thing you get in return - building the future. You think that will make you happy. But I know people who have a long list of accomplishments, who are deeply unhappy, because of the crushing work schedule and toxic people they work for. And in the end, the future you build may not be what you hoped. You wake up and realize you sacrificed your wellbeing all for a phone app or a new piece of adtech.
It's just not worth it. There are plenty of places where you can impact your industry and not be treated like shit. Your dignity is worth more than that.
Oddly, I've never heard any stories of people standing up to Jobs. They just stand there and take it. What was the worst he or any boss could do? Fire you? So what. Quitting is not your only option.
Totally agree. There is a reason this sort of thing happens though.
Some people (like yourself) have more of a sense of agency than others. It's not my cup of tea but some people prefer to implement the goals of others ("be part of something bigger"). Sometimes they get sucked in by abusive leaders.
I've read glassdoor reviews for companies that could "hire and inspire world class talent" and then fail to actually retain them due to terrible culture, so I'd think twice. Stability and balance are crucial, as well as growth potential.
Even suffering nasty behavior. Now I'm sure that the minute Jobs would lose the original value people saw in him, his drive, his aesthetics, product-ethos .. they'd bail out in a second.
I'm even pretty sure I despise average boring friction-full project even more. I don't have a lot of mileage, but when I see people doing fluff just to put their name in a document, on top of a stack of other similar here-to-justify-a-raise names it sucks life out of me (not for their individual behavior but the overall project).
ps: similarly, some line of work, health, firefighters is full of people who can tolerate insane difficulties, because what they achieve is still more satisfying to their mind.