Apple founder Steve Jobs delivered a blunt message to consultants during a 1992 MIT lecture, telling them they would never truly “taste” the fruits of their labour. Jobs criticised the consulting profession, arguing that its nature prevents practitioners from experiencing the full depth and consequences of their work.
“You’re coming in and making recommendations and not owning the results,” Jobs told the audience, which included consultants.He likened their experience to looking at a wall covered with pictures of fruit, emphasising, “You never get three-dimensional. You never taste it.”
Jobs argued that consulting lacks essential elements of meaningful work: autonomy, the opportunity to fail and learn, and genuine growth. He stressed the importance of long-term engagement and accountability, stating, “Without owning something over an extended period of time… one learns a fraction of what one can.”
His critique aligns with his own career choices. He dropped out of college to co-found Apple in 1976, experiencing both triumphs and setbacks. His most significant decision came in leading Apple into the iPhone era, which now accounts for nearly half of the company’s net sales.
Throughout his life, Jobs advocated for taking risks to pursue greater purposes. He told his biographer Walter Isaacson, “We’re all part of the flow of history… you’ve got to put something back into the flow of history that’s going to help your community, help other people.”
Jobs’ provocative statements challenge consultants and professionals to seek deeper, more impactful work experiences that allow them to fully “taste” the results of their efforts and contribute meaningfully to society.