Larry Page ignored Steve Jobs's advice...

Steve Jobs used to say, “Focussing is about saying no.” To him, focus meant narrowing your efforts, putting all your energy into a few things, and doing them so well that the world couldn’t ignore you. That’s how Apple brought us the iPhone, MacBook, and iPad—products that didn’t just work but changed industries.

But Larry Page, Google’s co-founder, saw things differently. When Google was already dominating the search engine space, Page could’ve stopped there, refining and perfecting search forever. Instead, he asked, “What else can we do?”

That question led Google into Maps, YouTube, Android, self-driving cars, and more. It wasn’t just about adding new features; it was about building an entire ecosystem. Today, Google isn’t just a search engine—it’s in your phone, your car, your TV, and maybe even your daily commute.

So Why Didn’t Larry Fail?

Here’s the thing: Larry Page understood what made Google tick. It wasn’t the search engine or even the cool apps they were building—it was the data. Every product Google created fed into its ability to collect and use data:

Google Maps? Data on how people move. YouTube? Data on what people watch. Android? Data on what people search for, download, and interact with. Search? Data on what people want.

Larry realized that if they nailed data collection, they could create products that weren’t just useful but necessary. The more they learned about their users, the better their products became. And the better the products, the more people used them. It was a cycle—and it worked.

Where Ideas Clash

Steve Jobs didn’t agree with this approach. He even told Larry that Google’s scattered focus might hurt the company. He advised him not to become the next Microsoft—a company he believed lacked focus and innovation. Jobs believed in keeping things simple and doubling down on what worked. And he wasn’t wrong—for Apple, this mindset was critical.

Apple thrives on its design principles. Everything they make feels unified, from the way an iPhone fits in your hand to how their software just works. That kind of harmony is impossible if you’re juggling 50 projects at once. Apple learned this the hard way during the John Sculley era, when they launched too many products without a clear vision. It didn’t end well.

But Google wasn’t Apple. Larry knew Google’s core wasn’t about sleek design or revolutionary hardware. It was about understanding people through data and building tools around that understanding. While Jobs focused on simplicity, Larry focused on scale.

The Lesson Here for You

Every business has a core—something that makes it work. For Apple, it’s design. For Google, it’s data. The trick is to figure out what your core is and build around it.

Don’t just copy someone else’s playbook. Steve Jobs’ advice worked brilliantly for Apple but wouldn’t have worked for Google. Larry Page knew this, and he made decisions that fit Google’s strengths, even when others doubted him.

Your story is yours to write. Learn from others, take inspiration from their successes, but remember—you’re building something unique. Focus where it matters, expand where it makes sense, and always play to your strengths.