Nope. But I've certainly failed a bunch of times. And now I'm going for the brass ring again.
Work within your means, but reach for things that are out of your means.
Work within your means, but reach for things that are out of your means.
In the end it comes down to having the vision and taking the risk. And one of his risks finally paid off. That is the essence of entrepreneurship, and something to emulate.
It's not just scale either. Jobs was also famous and perceived as successful. He could be a complete asshole to people and they would still work with him. You should try that in your next startup...
Now I wouldn't say that being a narcissistic asshole is a good strategy or something to emulate (after all, nobody's perfect), but pursuing a vision through all manner of trial and tribulation is a worthy goal, and something to emulate.
The people who make the biggest impact tend to be those who spend years, even decades in the harsh wildnerness, taking hits and taking falls, but never giving up because they refuse to believe that it can't be done. And then one day they do it, or die trying.
These people look at a territory and say "I'm going to conquer that." Most people will tell them they're crazy to even try, and that it would already be conquered if it were worthwhile or even possible to do so. "Just till the land like everyone else does" they'll say. And then these would-be conquerors get some other key people to see the vision and the possibility. They all work hard, doing what nobody else is doing, or would even try doing. They fail campaign after campaign, but keep going, eventually seeing some success. And then one day the visionary stands on the tallest hill, surveying their newly acquired "unconquerable" territory, and suddenly they're not crazy, but genius.