Elon Musk Vs. Steve Jobs: Walter Isaacson Delves Into The Minds Of Two Tech Titans

Two of the tech industry's most influential figures, Elon Musk and Steve Jobs, have been the subject of intense scrutiny and admiration.

What Happened: A biography of Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson sheds light on their similarities, differences and the nuances that defined their leadership styles, according to Insider.

Both leaders, according to Isaacson, exhibited a certain "dark streak" in their personalities. This often manifested as brutally candid feedback, pushing their respective teams toward perfection. However, this approach, while driving innovation, sometimes bordered on being excessively critical, Isaacson noted.

Another shared trait was their tendency to overshadow their co-founders (Steve Wozniak at Apple Inc. and Martin Eberhard at Tesla Inc), according to Isaacson. 

Also Read: Steve Jobs Shares Words of Wisdom: 'You've Got To Find What You Love, Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish'

Musk's and Jobs' ambitious nature also reportedly led them to set challenging deadlines, driving rapid progress but at times straining team morale.

However, Isaacson noted one stark contrast between the two was Musk's deep involvement in engineering. Unlike Jobs, who was more design-centric, Musk delved into the intricacies of manufacturing, emphasizing continuous innovation.

"Musk spends about 10 times more of his mental and physical presence on the factory lines as he does in the design room, and he believes that designing the machine that makes the machine is more important than designing the original product," Isaacson said at an event organized by the Economic Club of New York last month. "He feels that you can't be innovative unless you're iterating on an hourly basis."

Now Read: Elon Musk Says You Need 2 Things To Be 'Fully Happy,' If You Lack 1 You'll Be 'Half Happy'

This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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