Careers, Grit, Timing & Context

BGR: WhatsApp exists thanks to Twitter and Facebook’s ignorance
Wow. Talk about a flamebait headline and a load of bullshit.
The fact that Twitter and Facebook turned down WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton in 2009 has nothing to do with ignorance. Careers are not just about talent (although talent helps). Careers are also about timing and persistence (see also: grit.
It’s also important to point out the same person can achieve—or not archieve—very different things at different companies.
Case in point: Jony Ive. He was languishing at Apple and on the verge of quitting when Steve Jobs came back and made him his right hand man in 1997 so he could help develop little dinky products like the iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad.
What did Ive make at pre-Jobs Apple? The 20th Anniversary Mac. A thoughtful product for sure, but not quit in the same league as those other “i” products, is it?

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