One lesson I have learned by reading about Steve Jobs and Apple is that if you just keep learning, you never know how that knowledge can apply in the future. You never when the idea for the next great thing will come to you.
Having read several books about Steve Jobs and Apple, I know that when he came back to Apple in 1997 he was focused on saving the company and trying to create four great computers. And then one day a few years later some things came together — primarily a miniature hard drive that one of his engineers discovered — and in a very short period of time the first iPod came out (and Apple as a company was saved).
After that, as the Apple team had become comfortable working with small form factors and pushing the technology envelope, they eventually created the iPhone as well.
So the lesson for me is to just keep learning, and also to keep your eyes open to what’s happening in the world around you. You never know if you’re Steve Jobs in 1997, 2001, or 2007.