10 People Who Actually Said "No" to Steve Jobs

The Apple CEO didn't always have it his way.

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Complex Original

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"People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are…Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things." Steve Jobs shared these words of wisdom during the 1997 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. It was a belief he applied to all aspects of life. Whether it pertained to critical product decisions or personal matters, the Apple co-founder had no problem leaving everyone—employees to industry bigwigs like Jimmy Iovine—on the receiving end of rejection.

But contrary to popular belief, even the all-mighty Steve Jobs was turned down on numerous occasions by business partners, rivaling CEOs, and yes, customer service reps. Curious to know who was brave enough to go against the grain? Meet the souls that once told Steve Jobs "no."

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Aaron Sorkin

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Les Moonves

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Linus Torvalds

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Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi

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Andy Lack

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James Green

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Ali Rowghani

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Unknown AT&T Customer Service Rep

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Flour+Water Management

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Ron Wayne

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