Chapter 11

Real Artists Ship

In September 1983, the Apple Macintosh project was far behind schedule. The team was burning out but still had significant work left to do. Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple and visionary leader of the project, walked by the team's main hallway and wrote on a nearby easel what would become one of his best-known sayings: “Real Artists Ship.” He wrote it because he wanted to compel the project team to work harder and finish sooner. Today the quote is used as a rallying cry for creatives in many professions—people who overlook how at the time Jobs was emphasizing shipping, not artistry. Merely shipping something does not make you an artist. However, the only way the world learns of what makers makes, whether it's art or trash, ...

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