What will it take to transform your business? Passion? Perseverance? A really big idea?

Wildly successful Kevin O’Leary (you know him from “Shark Tank”) started by founding Softkey, acquired major competitors, and sold the software to Mattel. He now has investments in 30 private venture companies, as well as his own venture capital investment company.¹ O’Leary has a theory about success.

Meeting frequently with Steve Jobs, who was interested in educational software supplied by O’Leary’s company, one thing stood out about Jobs—an ability to shut out the “noise.”  According to O’Leary (see link to video below), Jobs had a relentless focus on “signal” and the mental toughness to refuse to be distracted. O’Leary defines “signal” as the 3-5 things you need to get done in the next 18 hours that are critical to your mission.  Anything that prevents accomplishing those things is “noise.”

O’Leary asserts that Jobs operated at a ratio of 80 signal/20 noise. He notes that signal is not about an overarching vision or long-term strategy; it’s not about the plans you’ve made for a year out. Signal denotes the mission-critical tasks that need done now. Noise is any potential impediment–problems with your family, public opinion, superfluous opportunities, or even one’s own doubts or fears. O’Leary believes that the wildly successful business “geniuses,” operate at close to 100% signal.

To what does the late Jobs attribute his extraordinary accomplishments? Words and concepts like passion, clarity, and the courage to take risks, are woven throughout his public statements. “If you don’t love something, you’re not going to go the extra mile, work the extra weekend, challenge the status quo as much.”²

Jobs also spoke to the importance of what O’Leary calls “signal.” “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. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.”³

As is well known, Jobs was ousted from Apple in 1985, returning in 1997 to a company on the verge of bankruptcy. His leadership and intense focus transformed Apple into one of the most iconic and valuable in the world.

What’s your signal to noise ratio?

1. https://fortune.com/2025/07/08/kevin-oleary-shark-tank-how-became-millionaire/
2. https://www.threads.com/@marketflowstrat/post/C8AIRGxiGZm
3. https://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/04/tech/innovation/steve-jobs-quotes/index.html