Eccentric Habits of Tech Geniuses Infographic

Eccentric Habits of Tech Geniuses Infographic

It’s often true that genius and madness are often two sides of the same coin, so it shouldn’t surprise you that the elite figures of the technology world all have their own eccentric habits and hobbies.The Eccentric Habits of Tech Geniuses Infographic presents a few of the ways that the tech elite keep themselves inspired.

Bill Gates

• Who they are: Founder and technology advisor of Microsoft
• Habit: Generates high-tech ideas using an analogue whiteboard.
• Quote: “I always have nice color pens, and it’s great for brainstorming when I’m with other people, and even sometimes by myself.”

Yoshiiro Nakamatsu (“Dr. NakaMats”)

• Who they are: Inventor of the floppy disk.
• Habit: Relaxes each evening in his 24-karat gold-tiled “Calm Room”.
• Quote: “The gold blocks out radio waves and television signals that are harmful to imagination.”

Jeff Bezos

• Who they are: CEO of Amazon
• Habit: Thinks ahead.
• Quote: “Working backwards… demands that we acquire new competencies and exercise new muscles, never mind how uncomfortable and awkward-feeling those first steps might be.”

Nikola Tesla

• Who they are: Inventor of the AC electric system
• Habit: Practiced carefully- considered moderation in smoking, drinking and eating.
• Quote: “Most persons are so absorbed in the contemplation of the outside world that they are wholly oblivious to what is passing on within themselves.”

John Havens

• Who they are: Founder of the H(app)athon Project
• Habit: Analyses data using gadgets and apps to better understand the mechanics of happiness.
• Quote: “Rather than guess at how you felt a week or a month ago, you can record aspects of your mood or health to help optimize your well-being in the future.”

Anna Akbari

• Who they are: Founder of sociologyofstyle.com
• Habit: Eats the same breakfast and lunch every day.
• Quote: “More choices require time and energy and shift our focus away from other things that matter. More choices also breed a sense of anxiety about making the “right” choice.”

Joel Gascoigne

• Who they are: Founder and CEO of Buffer
• Habit: Will make decisions without complete certainty.
• Quote: “One useful thing to do is remind yourself that whilst history has some rhythms, it never repeats itself. Even the most experienced entrepreneurs have to assess things with a fresh mind when they embark on a new venture.”

Kevin Systrom

• Who they are: Co-founder of Instagram
• Habit: Still loves taking photos.
• Quote: “I grew up as a photo nut. Every Christmas I would get a new camera. It’s a huge part of my life.”

Mark Zuckerberg

• Who they are: Founder and CEO of Facebook
• Habit: Takes up new challenge each year – from learning Chinese to only eating meat he personally killed.
• Quote: “I spend almost all of my time building Facebook, so these personal challenges are all things I wouldn’t normally have the chance to do if I didn’t take the time.”

Shigeru Miyamoto

• Who they are: Legendary games designer at Nintendo
• Habit: Measures things.
• Quote: “I’ve always enjoyed guessing the lengths of objects, which is why I carry a measuring tape around with me.”

Steve Jobs

• Who they are: Inventor, late CEO of Apple
• Habit: Listens to music.
• Quote: “If you’re trying to design a computer you will literally immerse yourself in the thousands of details necessary; all of a sudden, as the scaffolding gets set up high enough, it will all become clearer and clearer and that’s when the breakthrough starts. It is a rhythmic experience, or it is an experience where everything’s related to everything else and it’s all intertwined. And it’s such a fragile, delicate experience that it’s very much like music.”

So there you have it, the eccentric habits of the tech elite. While we wouldn’t advise that you start carrying around a tape measure – or bankrupt yourself building a 24-karat gold-tiled ‘Calm Room’ – you can’t argue with the results.