Fake Steve Jobs

"... Why is this PG guy special ? ..."

I've been thinking about this idea and by re-phrasing your question, "Why are certain people special?". I think you can make this a more general case than just one person working in a narrow field. But I'll confine my observations to the technology world and software world specifically.

So why are certain people special?

Maybe it has the same reason that in the past "what made them so un-popular". [0] The intellectual curiosity, ability to see change to "what is possible" instead of what is common practice. Seems harmless doesn't it? But a core mindset of questioning current practice and suggesting a new possibility instead of blind acceptance is threatening and outright dangerous talk to followers. I've observed that in certain types of decision making there are "leaders" and "followers". I'm pretty sure there is a good reason for it. From birth to the time you are old enough to go out into the world you generally accept what you are told is "the right way" to do things. This works for routine decisions like cleaning your teeth, twice every day to avoid decay. For a fair percentage of the population, doing what you are taught, told or pressured to do is pretty much the norm. Don't question why? Follow the standard procedures, get the job done. We need this type of thinking and obedience so we don't fall into chaos. Life is complicated enough without having to make hundreds of non-trivial decisions every week. What about other…

It always amazes me how the best social commentary comes from those who have the least to lose. Without the artificial constraint of professionalism (or, I guess, the need to be factually accurate), Lyons somehow manages to be more honest and credible, not less.

Take his Fake Steve piece on the Microsoft-Yahoo merger: http://fakesteve.blogspot.com/2008/02/ballmer-im-completely-out-of-ideas.html which I felt was the most succinct and insightful piece on the subject from any journalist.

I don't think FSJ "consistently lacks any real insight":

http://fakesteve.blogspot.com/2008/02/ballmer-im-completely-out-of-ideas.html

http://fakesteve.blogspot.com/2007/11/this-writers-strike-cracks-me-up.html

Are both quite insightful, I think. Most of the time he's just going for a laugh, but there are often quite observant commentaries on the industry.

Okay, I know it's wrong to reply to myself, and I will go to hell.

But look at the first picture in this FSJ blog post:

http://fakesteve.blogspot.com/2007/12/breakfast-with-apple-lawyer.html

It's Andy Kaufman! I rest my case.

Though, I gotta say, the Andy Kaufman of legend would never have issued such an obvious tipoff. :)