The Breakthrough Manifesto

Even though Steve Jobs, founder of iconic company Apple, passed away more than a decade ago, chances are you've heard a version of his quote about “making a dent in the universe.” Originally part of a 1985 interview discussing Apple's culture, the quote has been repeated and interpreted countless times in the popular and business presses.¹¹²

Often this quote is taken as a call to arms to be more purpose oriented: to do something that has positive resonating impact beyond one's self and one's moment in time. Other interpretations, including that of Jobs's wife Laurene Powell Jobs, emphasize the importance of “manipulating the circumstances” and modifying constraining structures in order to get things done.¹¹³ Both these angles share an underlying truth—a call to go beyond simply having great ideas and aspirations to actually making real change. To borrow another Steve Jobs quote when he was recruiting John Sculley to become the CEO of Apple in 1983, “Do you really want to sell sugar water, or do you want to come with me and change the world?”¹¹⁴

We embrace this philosophy with our final principle make change, because ultimately breakthrough means not only thinking of breakthrough ideas but also actually bringing them to life. Although the principles we've explored throughout ...