The 5 Questions Steve Jobs Would Ask About Your Idea

Would he nod?

Would he tear it apart?

Would he walk out without a word?

Jobs wasn’t just a product genius. He was a BS detector. A taste-maker. A master at cutting through the noise and pushing for only what mattered. He demanded more than novelty. He wanted inevitability.

So, if you want to know whether your idea has what it takes to change your industry, your company, or maybe even the world... try asking his questions.

Here are 5 brutal, no-fluff questions Steve Jobs would ask about your idea.

1. "Why will this idea still matter in 10 years?"

Jobs didn’t chase trends. He ignored them.

He obsessed over timelessness.

If your idea is built on hype, he’d sniff it out in seconds. If it can’t survive without this quarter’s buzzword or a short-term gimmick, it’s already dead.

Ask yourself:

• Are you solving a deep human need? Or just following the algorithm?
• If this idea launched a decade ago, would it still make sense?
• If it launched a decade from now, would it still matter?

If not—start again!

2. "Where's the 'aha' moment?"

Jobs loved elegance. Simplicity. That moment when a product just clicks.

If your idea takes 10 slides to explain... it’s not ready.

He'd challenge you:

• What’s the one sentence that makes people say, “Whoa. That’s smart.”
• Can a 10-year-old understand it?
• Can a cynical investor feel it?

If you can’t show the magic quickly, there might not be any magic at all.

3. "What are you willing to say no to?"

Innovation isn’t about doing more.

It’s about doing less brilliantly.

Jobs famously cut Apple’s product line from dozens to just four. He didn’t add features—he removed them until only the essential remained.

Your idea should come with a kill list:

• What will you NOT build?
• What audiences will you ignore?
• What features will you sacrifice to make one thing unforgettable?

Saying no is hard. But it’s how icons are made.

4. "Why does this deserve to exist?"

Not can it exist. Not will it sell.

But does it deserve to be in the world?

Jobs wanted products that elevated people. That brought joy. That had soul.

That’s why he obsessed over things most CEOs would call irrelevant:

• The sound of the startup chime
• The curve of a corner
• The feel of the box

So ask yourself:

• What makes this more than a money-making scheme?
• Will this idea make someone’s day better?
• Would the world be worse off without it?

If you can’t say yes... why are you building it?

5. "Is this your best?"

Jobs pushed people to the edge of obsession.

He believed great ideas don’t happen when we settle. They happen when we relentlessly polish the rough edge.

He would ask:

• Where did you cut a corner?
• What part of this still makes you uneasy?
• If this was your legacy—is it good enough?

That question stings. But it’s the one that transforms decent into iconic.

My final thought...

Most ideas don’t die because they’re bad.

They die because no one ever challenged them to be great.

So the next time you pitch something—to a client, to your team, or just to yourself—stop and ask:

What would Jobs say?

This was also published on Anthony J James LinkedIn.

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