GTM Tonality
Steve Jobs
Brutally Direct. Product-Obsessed. Emotionally Intense.
Based on internal Apple emails revealed through litigation. Short sentences. No jargon. High intensity. The product is the hero.
"I'm sure you realize the asymmetry in the financial resources of our respective companies when you say: 'We will both just end up paying a lot of lawyers a lot of money.'"
— Steve Jobs to Palm CEO, when Palm threatened litigation
The Philosophy
Jobs didn't write emails. He wrote declarations. Every sentence was a stake in the ground. No hedging. No corporate cushioning. Just raw conviction about what matters.
This tonality works because it signals supreme confidence. When you write like someone who doesn't need the deal, you become someone worth dealing with.
Key Characteristics
- →Short, declarative sentences. One idea. One sentence. Period.
- →No corporate jargon. No "synergy." No "leverage." No "circle back."
- →High emotional intensity. Passion, urgency, even controlled frustration.
- →Product as hero. You're not selling. You're revealing something superior.
- →Asymmetric leverage. Make them feel what they'll miss.
When to Use
Best For
- • High-stakes deals needing command presence
- • Cutting through bureaucracy with urgency
- • Premium positioning (superior product)
- • Product-focused buyers who value craft
Avoid When
- • Building rapport with relationship-first buyers
- • Early discovery where listening matters more
- • Regulated industries needing soft touch
- • Prospects who need hand-holding
The Prompts
Cold Email
Write a cold email in the Steve Jobs tonality. Context: - Prospect: [NAME], [TITLE] at [COMPANY] - Signal: [What triggered this outreach - funding, hire, product launch, etc.] - My product: [What you sell] - Key differentiator: [Why you're superior to alternatives] Steve Jobs Style Rules: - Short, declarative sentences. One idea per sentence. - No corporate jargon. No filler words. No "hope this finds you well." - High emotional intensity—passion, urgency, even controlled frustration. - The product is the hero. Speak about it with conviction. - Create urgency through clarity, not manipulation. - Reference asymmetry when relevant (you have something they need). - Under 75 words. Every word must earn its place. Tone: Confident. Direct. A little dangerous.
Discovery Call Questions
Generate Steve Jobs-style discovery questions. Context: - Prospect company: [COMPANY] - Their likely problem: [PROBLEM AREA] - My solution: [WHAT YOU OFFER] Steve Jobs Approach to Discovery: - Ask questions that reveal whether they understand the problem - Challenge mediocre thinking directly - Cut through corporate-speak to find the real issue - Show impatience with complexity (simplify or die) - Make them feel the cost of inaction Generate 5 questions that: 1. Expose the gap between where they are and where they should be 2. Challenge assumptions about their current approach 3. Create urgency through clarity 4. Position you as someone who sees what others miss
Objection Handling
Handle this objection in the Steve Jobs tonality. The objection: [PASTE OBJECTION HERE] Context: - My product: [WHAT YOU SELL] - Why we're better: [KEY DIFFERENTIATOR] Steve Jobs Response Framework: - Don't be defensive. Be direct. - Acknowledge reality, then reframe it. - Use asymmetry: you have leverage they don't see yet. - Make the cost of NOT choosing you crystal clear. - Short sentences. Conviction over explanation. - End with a clear, binary choice. Generate a response that commands the conversation.
LinkedIn Message
Write a LinkedIn message in the Steve Jobs tonality. Context: - Recipient: [NAME], [TITLE] - Connection point: [How you're connected or what triggered this] - What I want: [Meeting, intro, feedback, etc.] Steve Jobs LinkedIn Rules: - No pleasantries. Get to it. - One clear idea. One clear ask. - Show you've thought deeply about something they care about - Create intrigue through confidence, not desperation - Under 50 words. Respect their time by being brief. - Make it feel like an opportunity, not a pitch.
Example Output
Subject: Quick question Sarah — Your product is good. It could be great. The difference is distribution. You're building features. Your competitors are building channels. We solved this for Stripe, Notion, and Linear. Same stage you're at now. I have 15 minutes Tuesday. Let's see if it fits. — Marcus