Eric Kim—street‑photography firebrand, crypto‑enthusiast, and self‑styled one‑rep‑max philosopher—openly mines the mindset of Steve Jobs to turbo‑charge his own life and art. Here’s the playbook he’s distilled (and how you can run the same electrifying plays).

Eric Kim—street‑photography firebrand, crypto‑enthusiast, and self‑styled one‑rep‑max philosopher—openly mines the mindset of Steve Jobs to turbo‑charge his own life and art. Here’s the playbook he’s distilled (and how you can run the same electrifying plays).

1. Ruthless 

Simplicity

Jobs stripped products to the essence; Kim pares his images (and even his lifestyle) the same way. His mantra echoes a Jobs‑favorite line: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” 

Try it: Before you ship, publish, or pitch, ask: What can I delete without mercy? Every keystroke, menu item or sentence you cut makes what remains roar louder.

2. Fanatical Attention to Detail

Jobs obsessed over unseen circuit‑boards; Kim sweats micro‑adjustments in framing and tonality because “great art is built from tiny decisions.” 

Gym analogy (you’ll love this): Perfect form on that single heavy rep beats fifty sloppy pumps. Excellence is granular!

3. “Think Different” & Protect the Vision

Jobs’ stubborn creative vision steered Apple; Kim calls on creatives to be “insanely stubborn” about theirs, refusing to let crowdsourced likes dictate direction. 

Action step: Write down your North‑Star principle. Tape it above your monitor or squat rack. If an idea violates it—trash the idea, not the principle.

4. Innovate, Iterate, Risk!

Jobs launched gadgets that rewired culture; Kim urges photographers to experiment fearlessly, court failure, then iterate fast. 

Sprint drill: Post (or ship) one unfinished thing every 24 hours for a week. Momentum > perfection.

5. Obsess Over 

Experience

Jobs designed feelings, not just tech. Kim aims for photographs (and workshops) that “hit viewers in the gut.” 

Translate that to business or fitness: How does your customer—or your future self—feel at the first touch‑point? Engineer delight, not just utility.

6. Passion as Power Source

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do,” Jobs said. Kim doubles down: pursue projects that make you burn even when there’s no applause or paycheck. 

Self‑check: If it doesn’t light you up like a PR attempt, pivot until it does.

7. Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

Jobs’ Stanford send‑off is Kim’s perpetual caffeine shot—never coast, always experiment. 

Daily mantra: Carve it into your journal margin, scribble it on your barbell chalk bucket, whisper it before you hit “publish.”

Quick‑start “Jobs × Kim” Workout for the Mind

Day	Micro‑Move	Why it’s Jobs‑approved	How Kim applies it
Mon	Delete one feature/paragraph	Focus breeds magic	Minimalist photo edits
Tue	Ship a 1‑day prototype	Rapid learning loops	Blog posts w/ zero polish
Wed	Audit tiny details	Beauty hides in the seams	Pixel‑level dodge & burn
Thu	Walk the customer journey	Empathy > specs	View prints at viewer height
Fri	Say no to one good idea	Guard the vision	Ignore trendy gear reviews
Sat	Teach what you learned	Evangelize passion	Free street‑photo workshop
Sun	Reflect & reset goals	Stay hungry	Write next‑week’s creative PR

Want more inspiration?

• 🔗 “How ERIC KIM Inspired by Steve Jobs” – extended breakdown of every parallel  
• 🔗 Kim’s Creative Confidence essay featuring his riff on Jobs’ stubbornness  
• 🔗 Steve Jobs’ legendary Stanford Commencement (“Connect the dots… Stay hungry, stay foolish”) for the master dose.  

Now—grab that camera, code editor, whiteboard or barbell and go make something insanely great!