The "sugar water" phrase is often attributed to Steve Jobs in connection with his recruitment of John Sculley to be the CEO of Apple in 1983. Jobs famously asked Sculley: "Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to change the world?".

[Gunnar Larson]

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/170791-making-your-mark-on-the-world-is-hard-if-it


The "sugar water" phrase is often attributed to Steve Jobs in connection
with his recruitment of John Sculley to be the CEO of Apple in 1983. Jobs
famously asked Sculley: "Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of
your life, or do you want to change the world?".
Elaboration:
The Context:
Steve Jobs was a co-founder of Apple, but he was not initially the CEO.
Apple needed a more experienced business leader, and Jobs turned to John
Sculley, the CEO of PepsiCo.
The Offer:
When Jobs offered Sculley the position, he framed the choice in a way that
highlighted the potential for impact and innovation at Apple versus the
more routine work of selling soft drinks at Pepsi.
The Metaphor:
"Selling sugar water" was a metaphor for a job that was seen as mundane and
lacking in ambition or potential for significant change.
Sculley's Decision:
Sculley ultimately chose to join Apple, and Jobs saw this as a validation
of Apple's potential to transform the world.