The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google

by Scott Galloway

It is conventional wisdom that Steve Jobs put “a dent in the universe.” No, he didn’t. Steve Jobs, in my view, spat on the universe. People who get up every morning, get their kids dressed, get them to school, and have an irrational passion for their kids’ well-being, dent the universe. The world needs more homes with engaged parents, not a better fucking phone.

Facebook has 83 percent of its users outside the United States4 (though a quarter of revenues are clocked in the United States);5 its biggest market in terms of users is India,6 which presents robust growth opportunities.

Getting a job at one of the Four Horsemen is a ticket to the tech illuminati—and the trajectory of your career is about to go vertical.

Adherence to process, or how we’ve always done it, is the Achilles’ heel of big firms and sepsis for careers.

Play offense: for every four things you’re asked to do, offer one deliverable or idea that was not asked for.

Some people are better at words, some at images. Invest aggressively in your strength(s) and spend modest effort to get your weaknesses to average so they don’t hold you back.