By Gabe Salinas – The World’s Greatest Window Cleaner

Steve Jobs: Crazy Enough to Change the World

What does it really take to build something that outlives you? Is it genius, grit, or the guts to be different when everyone else plays it safe?

This week I cracked open Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, and let me tell you, this book hits like a tidal wave. It’s not just about a man who built computers. It’s about obsession, vision, chaos, heartbreak, and triumph. It’s about a guy who was kicked out of the very company he created, only to return years later and make it one of the most valuable brands in the world.

And the kicker? He did it all while being…well, Steve. Flawed, fiery, and brilliant.

The Early Spark

Jobs was adopted as a baby, and while his biological parents couldn’t raise him, his adoptive father, Paul Jobs, gave him something that shaped his entire life: an obsession with quality. There’s a story in the book about building cabinets. Paul told Steve, “You’ve got to use good wood, even on the back of the cabinet, the part nobody sees.”

Why? Because you would know it was cheap if you cut corners. Excellence isn’t about what’s on display. It’s about your own standard. That stuck with Steve, and you see it in everything Apple ever made. It’s why the inside of a Mac was designed as beautifully as the outside.

That lesson hit me hard. At Window Ninjas, I preach the same thing. It’s not just about shiny windows; it’s about the walkthrough, the thank-you call, the details no one else is paying attention to. Customers might not always see it, but they feel it. And we know it’s done right. That’s the difference between good and legendary.

A Visionary and a Madman

Here’s the truth: Steve Jobs was not easy to work for. He had this thing called a “reality distortion field.” He’d tell his engineers to do the impossible, and somehow, they’d pull it off. Most people would call that delusional. But Jobs made people believe. He bent reality.

He obsessed over every detail. He screamed, he fired, he pushed people to the edge. And yet, look at the results. The Macintosh. The iPod. The iPhone. Pixar, for crying out loud. Jobs changed not just one industry, but several.

Reading this, I had to laugh a little. Because I get it. When you’ve got a vision burning in your chest, average doesn’t cut it. You want the best. You demand the best. Sometimes that makes you misunderstood. But like Jobs proved, if you want to change the world, you can’t play nice with mediocrity.

The Fall and the Rise

One of the wildest parts of the story is that Jobs got fired from Apple. Imagine being tossed out of the company you started in your garage! For most people, that’s game over. But not for Steve.

He went on to create NeXT, a company ahead of its time. He took over Pixar and turned it into the powerhouse that gave us Toy Story and changed animation forever. And then full circle, Apple bought NeXT, and Jobs was back at the helm.

And what did he do? He led one of the greatest business comebacks in history. Apple went from near bankruptcy to becoming the first trillion-dollar company. That’s not just a win, this is a war story. Microsoft might have “won” the PC battle, but Jobs won the war of innovation. He created a company people love. Microsoft sold products. Apple built a culture.

That lesson applies to all of us hustling in business: setbacks aren’t the end. Sometimes they’re just the training ground for your greatest comeback.

Imperfect Man, Lasting Legacy

The book doesn’t sugarcoat his flaws. Jobs struggled in his personal life. He denied his first daughter for years before acknowledging her. His relationships were rocky. He wasn’t the picture of balance.

But here’s the thing: greatness is messy. It doesn’t come wrapped in a bow. Jobs was complicated, and yet he was real. He didn’t chase perfection for appearances; he chased it because it was in his DNA.

And it paid off. People like Steve don’t show up every year. They’re once-in-a-generation leaders. Elon Musk, Phil Knight, Steve Jobs, these are the crazy ones, the visionaries who see the world differently and drag us into the future with them.

Why This Matters to You and Me

For me, this book was a gut check. It reminded me that business isn’t about boasting, it’s about doing the work. It’s about refusing to cut corners, staying passionate, staying persistent, and focusing when everyone else is distracted.

Jobs proved you can live your best life through hard work, by dedicating yourself to your craft, and by shutting out the noise. He was the Albert Einstein of our generation.

And when I look at what we’re building at Window Ninjas, I see the same principles. Simplicity. Detail. Passion. A willingness to do things differently. Are we building computers? No. But we are building a brand, a system, and a culture that will outlive us if we do it right.

That’s the goal. To build something bigger than ourselves.

My Golden Squeegee Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 out of 5 Golden Squeegees.

This is a must-read for anyone serious about business, innovation, and leaving their mark on the world. It is also a must-read for anyone going through hard times, or wondering what the greats of our time are personally going through. Just like us, Steve battled struggles in his day-to-day life, and this book shows that even icons carry heavy burdens while chasing greatness.

My Applied Action

After finishing this book, I’m doubling down on simplicity and detail. I’m challenging my team to refine our systems, scripts, and customer experiences until they’re so smooth it feels like magic. That’s what Apple did. That’s how Jobs changed the world.

Final Word

Steve Jobs is gone, but his name lives on in the products, the culture, and the standard he set. He proved greatness isn’t reserved for the chosen few, it’s attainable if you’re willing to go all in.

So grab this book. Let it light a fire in you. Be entertained. Be amazed. Be WOWED.

And then go build your own legacy.

Keep Shining.
—Gabe Salinas