Back-of-Cabinet Principle
#craftsmanship #quality
True craftsmanship is a drive for perfection. When you care about your craftsmanship even the unseen parts matter. Steve Jobs father taught him that craftsmanship matters above all else, when they were building cabinets even the parts that faced the wall needed to be beautiful. Not because people would see it, but because you will know it’s a work of art. Jobs applied this lesson to everything. The initial designs for the Apple II circuit board were rejected. The lines were not straight enough. They didn’t just learn craftsmanship in art school. The level of attention makes it already seem magical to them.
Craftsmanship is about satisfying the standards you have for yourself.
Deep inside the Macintosh the painted circuit board held chips and other components. "That part's really pretty, but look at the memory chips. That's ugly. The lines are too close together" Steve Jobs critiqued. One of the engineers on the team interpreted by saying the only thing that's important is how well it works. No body is going to see the PC board. For the Macintosh to be the work of a craftsman the hidden parts had to be beautiful too. A guiding principle Jobs picked up from his father, who believed craftsmanship was about maintaining quality and aesthetics if the underlying structure. A cabinet is to be beautiful, the space cannot be plywood. You know it's there. You know it's not the work of a craftsman. Your level of craftsmanship is set by this standard.