Thank you, Tony Fadell, for devoting the space in your new book, Build, to the role that assholes, good and bad, play in building things and companies.
I agree. Eccentric in his own right, Marc is a wonderful humanitarian and NOT an asshole. He taught me many things in the time we worked together. Among them, the important of setting the "right" goals. He challenged me to think bigger and aspire to achieve a lofty vision. For example, he challenged me, "When you aspire and demand of yourself to create a billion dollar business (in five years!), you will be forced to think differently, more boldly, and more decisively. As such, your choices and decisions must support this aspiration. This mindset makes all the difference. Perhaps, these so called assholes are just more binary about what they must do.
A Whole Chapter On Assholes!
I agree. Eccentric in his own right, Marc is a wonderful humanitarian and NOT an asshole. He taught me many things in the time we worked together. Among them, the important of setting the "right" goals. He challenged me to think bigger and aspire to achieve a lofty vision. For example, he challenged me, "When you aspire and demand of yourself to create a billion dollar business (in five years!), you will be forced to think differently, more boldly, and more decisively. As such, your choices and decisions must support this aspiration. This mindset makes all the difference. Perhaps, these so called assholes are just more binary about what they must do.
One of the other notable not-an-asshole leaders is Marc Benioff. Interestingly he parted ways with one of the ones on your list- Larry Ellison. :)