Make Your Own Rules: Steve Wozniak On Innovation [VIDEO]

As innovation speaker Steve Wozniak says in a presentation at the Georgia State University Distinguished Speaker's Series, nothing that he designed from Apple was copied from a textbook. Technology and engineering is an art form, he explains, and true genius cannot be taught. When he designed products for Apple, he says that he tried to put things together in his own unique way. While there are obviously rules that need to be followed so the product will function, he says that he used the rules as a jumping off point but then put his creations together using his own ideas. This is what great engineers do, he adds. "They really care about it being good," he explains, "and not just [that it works]." When you have employees like that, Wozniak tells the audience, it makes your company unique.

It is also important to treat every employee like they are a vital part of the company. When everyone has a vested interest in what they are doing, and they act as one mind working toward the same goal, the products a company creates are often better. He says that was the vision at Apple: that the employees saw their work as a whole package instead of simply focusing on their tiny part of the process. All of this led to a more unified finished product. Treat the design process like an art form, he says, and you will come up with the most innovative products out there.

With years of experience in the technology sector, Wozniak is a trusted voice on innovation. His keynotes are highly sought after and he speaks with a candor that really resonates with his audiences. Wozniak is the co-founder of Apple Computers, and while he is no longer a major part of the company—he remains up-to-date on the most cutting edge advancements in the industry. He explores current trends with his audiences, and provides them with strategies to improve on those trends and stay one step ahead of the competition.