A writing masterclass in one email

Author

Teddy Mitrosilis
May 19, 2025

In partnership with

Steve Jobs was known as a visionary.

A product and design savant, he turned Apple into one of those most dominant brands on earth.

He was also a masterful writer.

Specifically, a master of simple, clear and concise writing — the kind that works in business.

In 2005, Jobs sent Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen an email. Jobs alleged that Adobe was stealing talent from Apple, and he wanted to put an end to it.

Here’s the email, which as gone viral in recent years:

(Before we proceed, it should be noted that emails like this reportedly landed Jobs in legal trouble. I’m not a lawyer and this is not advice — but the writing is unbelievable!).

Here’s why this email is so effective.

1- It’s simple

No jargon. No long sentences. No preamble. Anyone can understand this email.

2- It’s abundantly clear

There’s no confusing the core message.

“Your company is recruiting our talent. Stop.”

3- It gets right to the point

Six cutting sentences. None longer than 14 words. You can read the whole thing on your phone without needing to scroll.

In business, this is how you should aspire to write.

It’s important to note that this email also reflects Jobs’ personality — direct, unapologetic, abrasive.

Your writing should reflect your personality. You can still infuse humor, warmth, cheerfulness or whatever characteristic fits you while being clear and direct.

Simple, clear, concise.

If you want to excel in your career, practice this skill every day.

P.S. I’m considering doing a few workshops with teams to coach them on how to build the skill of simple, clear and concise writing. It would include practical tools for applying it internally in your company and externally with customers / partners.

If you would be interested, reply to this email and let me know.

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