Built by Margin with Laurie Chen
Built by Margin is the podcast at the intersection of risk, numbers, and decision-making for founders, CEOs, and high performers. Hosted by CPA, fractional CFO, and author of the upcoming book Risk Worthy, Laurie Chen, CPA, MBA, the show explores how better decisions create better businesses, stronger leadership, and more meaningful long-term outcomes. From financial strategy and entrepreneurship to intelligent risk-taking and growth, each episode helps you think sharper and build with intention.
Built by Margin with Laurie Chen
The Best Possible Future with Laurie Chen, CPA, MBA - Lessons from Steve Jobs on Connecting the Dots
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What if the decisions that don't make sense today are the very ones that shape your best possible future?
Steve Jobs famously said, "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward." From dropping out of college and taking a calligraphy class to returning to Apple and transforming the future of consumer technology, Jobs demonstrated how curiosity, intuition, and unconventional decisions can create extraordinary outcomes.
In this episode of Built by Margin, Laurie Chen shares an excerpt from her upcoming book, Risk Worthy, exploring the second pillar of the Risk Worthy Framework: Best Possible Future.
Through the story of Steve Jobs, Laurie examines how seemingly insignificant decisions can lead to unexpected opportunities, why having a compelling vision matters more than predicting the future, and how intentional risk-taking can shape the future we want to create.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- How Steve Jobs turned unconventional decisions into extraordinary opportunities.
- Why your best possible future requires vision, not certainty.
- How seemingly small decisions today can create significant outcomes tomorrow.
- Why knowing what not to pursue is just as important as knowing what to pursue.
Your best possible future isn't something you have to predict. It's something you intentionally create through the decisions you make today.