Steve Jobs

By Walter Issacson

1. Childhood: Abandoned and Chosen

Steve Jobs was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs, who instilled in him a passion for craftsmanship. His father, a mechanic, taught him to value precision, even in unseen details: “He loved doing things right. He even cared about the look of the parts you couldn’t see.” Jobs knew from age six that he was adopted, a fact that left him feeling both “abandoned” and “special,” shaping his drive for control and perfection.

2. The Two Steves: Wozniak and the Blue Box

In high school, Jobs met Steve Wozniak, a technical genius. Together, they built the “Blue Box,” a device to make free long-distance calls, showcasing Jobs’ knack for turning Woz’s engineering into a business. “If it hadn’t been for the Blue Boxes, there wouldn’t have been an Apple,” Jobs later said. This partnership laid the foundation for Apple: Wozniak built elegant circuits; Jobs envisioned markets and profits.

3. Apple I and II: From Garage to Revolution

In 1976, the duo launched Apple with the Apple I, a bare circuit board. Jobs convinced Woz to sell it, not just give away schematics. The Apple II, with its sleek design and color graphics, became the first mass-market personal computer. Jobs’ obsession with aesthetics was evident: he insisted on a plastic case (inspired by Cuisinart appliances) and a user-friendly interface, ignoring Woz’s desire for expandability.

4. Lisa and the Graphical User Interface (GUI)

Jobs named the Lisa after his daughter (denying paternity publicly at first). Inspired by Xerox PARC’s GUI, he “stole” the idea, refining it into a mouse-driven, icon-based interface. “Great artists steal,” he infamously declared. The Lisa failed commercially, but it paved the way for the Macintosh, Jobs’ next bet.

5. The Macintosh: “1984” and Reality Distortion

The Macintosh team, driven by Jobs’ “reality distortion field,” created a revolutionary machine with a graphical interface. The iconic “1984” Super Bowl ad, directed by Ridley Scott, positioned Apple as a rebel against IBM’s “Big Brother.” Jobs pushed his team mercilessly: “Real artists ship,” he declared, forcing them to meet impossible deadlines, even as the Mac’s flaws (slow speed, limited memory) emerged.

6. Sculley and the Fall

John Sculley, hired as CEO, initially bonded with Jobs (“Do you want to spend your life selling sugared water?” Jobs asked). But conflicts arose: Sculley prioritized profits; Jobs, product perfection. After a board showdown in 1985, Jobs was ousted. “It was like being punched in the stomach,” he said, but the exile led to his next chapter.

7. NeXT and Pixar: The Wilderness Years

NeXT was Jobs’ post-Apple project, a high-end workstation with a perfect cube design (costing $650,000 per mold) and obsessive details, like hand-polished screws. It failed commercially but influenced future tech. Meanwhile, he bought Pixar from George Lucas, turning it into an animation giant with Toy Story, blending technology and art.

8. Return to Apple: The Second Coming

In 1997, Apple bought NeXT, bringing Jobs back. He streamlined the company, launching the iMac (colorful, translucent design), iPod, iPhone, and iPad, all embodying his ethos: “We’re here to put a dent in the universe.” His health battles (pancreas cancer) and eventual resignation in 2011 marked the end of an era.

9. Going Public: A Man of Wealth and Fame (1980)

Apple’s IPO in December 1980 made Jobs a billionaire at 25, but it also exposed cracks in his relationships. He excluded loyal friends like Daniel Kottke from stock options, showing a ruthless streak. Jobs believed wealth should not corrupt his vision: “I made a promise to myself that I’m not going to let this money ruin my life.” The IPO marked Apple’s arrival as a corporate giant, but Jobs remained obsessed with product purity, clashing with executives over cost-cutting.

10. The Mac Is Born: “You Say You Want a Revolution” (1981–1984)

Jobs wrestled control of the Macintosh project from Jef Raskin, insisting on a powerful processor (Motorola 68000) and a user-friendly GUI. The team, dubbed “pirates,” worked in a chaotic, creative environment with a skull-and-crossbones flag flying over their office. Jobs’ mantra: “We’re going to make a computer that’s cheaper and better than the Lisa, and get it out first.” The Macintosh’s iconic features—mouse, windows, fonts—were born from Jobs’ obsession with Xerox PARC’s ideas, refined into an “insanely great” product.

11. The Reality Distortion Field: Playing by His Own Rules (1981–1984)

Jobs’ “reality distortion field” drove the team to achieve the impossible, like completing software in record time, but also created a toxic environment. Andy Hertzfeld described it as a “mélange of charismatic rhetorical style, indomitable will, and eagerness to bend any fact to fit the purpose at hand.” Jobs berated colleagues publicly, yet inspired loyalty: “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not actually doing anything.” The team’s T-shirts read, “90 hours a week and loving it!”

12. The Design: Real Artists Simplify (1982–1984)

Jobs’ design philosophy, inspired by Bauhaus and Japanese minimalism, demanded simplicity and beauty. He obsessed over details like rounded-corner rectangles (inspired by street signs) and the Macintosh’s “A–Z” font menu. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” he declared, borrowing a Leonardo da Vinci maxim. The Macintosh’s GUI, with overlapping windows and mouse-driven navigation, was a leap from text-based interfaces, driven by Jobs’ belief that “people do judge a book by its cover.”

13. Building the Mac: The Journey Is the Reward (1983–1984)

Jobs insisted on a factory as a temple of craftsmanship, with white walls and spotless floors: “If we’re not proud of the factory, we can’t be proud of the product.” The Macintosh’s $666.66 price tag (Wozniak’s love for repeating digits) and lack of a fan (Jobs hated noise) exemplified his defiance of convention. Despite delays and cost overruns, the team shipped the Macintosh on time, driven by Jobs’ mantra: “The journey is the reward.”

14. Enter Sculley: The Pepsi Challenge (1983–1985)

Jobs recruited John Sculley from Pepsi with the iconic line: “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?” Initially a symbiotic partnership, it soured as Sculley prioritized profits over product vision. Jobs’ temper and refusal to compromise led to a power struggle. Sculley eventually sided with the board, stripping Jobs of operational control: “I realized I couldn’t work with him anymore. He was destroying the company.”

15. The Launch: “A Dent in the Universe” (1984)

The Macintosh launch was a Jobsian spectacle: the “1984” ad aired during the Super Bowl, portraying Apple as a rebel against IBM’s dominance. Jobs’ keynote at De Anza College featured a demo where the Macintosh “spoke” for itself, ending with “Hello, I’m Macintosh,” triggering a standing ovation. Despite early sales, the Mac faced criticism for its high price and limited software. Jobs declared: “We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise, why be here?”

16. Gates and Jobs: When Orbits Intersect (1984–2011)

The rivalry between Jobs and Bill Gates defined the tech era. Gates dismissed the Macintosh as overpriced, while Jobs mocked Microsoft for lacking taste: “They just have no taste . . . they have to make their money by stealing ideas.” Despite mutual disdain, they collaborated briefly, with Microsoft developing Office for Mac. The rivalry peaked with the iPhone vs. Android battle, but Jobs later acknowledged: “Bill is basically unimaginative and has never invented anything, which is why he’s more comfortable now in philanthropy than technology.”

17. Icarus: What Goes Up . . . (1985)

After being ousted from Apple, Jobs felt “betrayed” by the board and Sculley. He sold most of his Apple stock, retaining one share, and declared: “It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” The ousting was a pivotal low, but it freed him to create NeXT and Pixar, driven by a desire to prove himself: “I had been rejected, but I was still in love with what I did.”

18. NeXT: Prometheus Unbound (1985–1997)

NeXT aimed to create a “computer for the mind,” with a sleek cube design (12x12x12 inches, $650k molds) and advanced software. Jobs hired Paul Rand for the logo (cost: $100k, no revisions), insisting on perfection: “I want it to be a work of art.” Though commercially unsuccessful, NeXT’s object-oriented OS later saved Apple when it was acquired in 1997, proving Jobs’ belief that “sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.”

19. Pixar: Technology Meets Art (1986–2006)

Jobs bought Pixar from George Lucas for $5M, seeing it as a bridge between technology and art. He endured years of losses, trusting John Lasseter’s creative vision. Toy Story (1995), the first CGI film, was a gamble that paid off, grossing $352M. Jobs declared: “The technology is nothing. What’s important is the faith in people.” Pixar’s success proved his ability to nurture creativity, leading to a $7.4B acquisition by Disney in 2006.

20. A Regular Guy: Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word (1986–1991)

After leaving Apple, Jobs embraced a more grounded life with Laurene Powell, whom he met at Stanford Business School. They married in 1991 in Zen ceremony officiated by Kobun Chino, his spiritual mentor. Jobs, who once struggled with fatherhood, became a hands-on dad to Reed, Erin, and Eve, though he remained guarded about his past with daughter Lisa Brennan.

• Personal Contradictions: He denied paternity of Lisa publicly for years, but privately acknowledged her and provided for her education. “I didn’t want to be a father at the time, but over the years, I grew to love her,” he later admitted.
• Home Life: The Jobs family lived in a minimalist Palo Alto home, reflecting his Zen-inspired disdain for clutter. He insisted on organic meals and regular family dinners, where he grilled his kids on their opinions.

21. Family Man: At Home with the Jobs Clan (1990s–2000s)

Jobs balanced family and work, often bringing his kids to Apple’s campus. He taught them to question norms, once telling Reed, “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” Laurene provided stability, grounding his obsessive tendencies.

• Fatherly Lessons: He took his children to Palo Alto’s Stanford Shopping Center, debating design choices in stores: “That display is ugly—too cluttered. See how Apple’s store is simple and clean?”
• Privacy Protection: He shielded his family from the limelight, refusing to discuss them in interviews, a stark contrast to his public persona.

22. Toy Story: Buzz and Woody to the Rescue (1995)

Pixar’s Toy Story became the first full-length CGI film, a gamble Jobs supported despite years of losses. He clashed with Disney’s Michael Eisner, who undervalued Pixar’s creativity, but the film’s $352M success proved his faith in blending technology and art.

• Creative Dictator: Jobs demanded rewrites when the first draft lacked heart: “It’s not about the technology; it’s about the story. Make the characters relatable.”
• Deal with Disney: He negotiated a landmark deal giving Pixar creative control, a rarity in Hollywood, and later became Disney’s largest shareholder after the 2006 acquisition.

23. The Second Coming: What Rough Beast, Its Hour Come Round at Last (1997)

Apple’s near-bankruptcy in 1997 led to Jobs’ return as “iCEO” (interim CEO). He slashed 70% of products, focused on the iMac, and delivered a legendary speech: “We’re going to make the next great thing, and it’s going to be called the iMac.”

• Product Culling: “You’ve got to focus on the few things that are really important,” he told the team, canceling white elephant projects like the Newton PDA.
• “Think Different” Campaign: Launched a campaign featuring icons like Einstein and Dylan, positioning Apple as a rebel against corporate stagnation: “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”

24. The Restoration: The Loser Now Will Be Later to Win (1998–2001)

The iMac’s 1998 launch, with its translucent Bondi Blue case and no floppy drive, signaled Apple’s revival. Jobs bet on USB, ignoring critics: “We’re throwing away the past to embrace the future.”

• Design Revolution: Worked with Jony Ive to create a computer that was “an object of desire,” with a curved plastic shell and all-in-one design.
• Financial Turnaround: Apple went from a $1B loss to $309M profit in two years, driven by iMac sales and Jobs’ return to product-focused leadership.

25. Think Different: Jobs as iCEO (1997–2000)

The “Think Different” campaign redefined Apple’s identity, merging Jobs’ counterculture roots with corporate ambition. He personally approved every detail, from the font (Garamond) to the tagline.

• Brand as Religion: “This isn’t just a computer; it’s a movement,” he told the team, leveraging his reality distortion field to rally employees and consumers.
• Return to Innovation: Introduced the iBook, a colorful, portable laptop for students, proving Apple could thrive in niche markets.

26. Design Principles: The Studio of Jobs and Ive (2000s)

Jobs and Jony Ive formed a design partnership based on minimalism and “uncompromising perfection.” The iPod (2001), with its click wheel and aluminum casing, exemplified their ethos: “We want it to be so simple it’s intuitive.”

• No Design by Committee: Jobs rejected complex interfaces, insisting on “one button to rule them all” (later seen in the iPhone).
• Material Obsession: For the iPod, he demanded anodized aluminum that felt “cool and industrial,” a departure from plastic gadgets.

27. The iMac: Hello (Again) (1998)

The iMac reintroduced Apple to consumers with its playful, translucent design, available in colors like Bondi Blue and Tangerine. Jobs eliminated the floppy drive, betting on USB and internet connectivity, a move critics called risky.

• User Experience Focus: “We didn’t want users to see wires or complexity,” he said, hiding ports behind a removable panel.
• Cultural Impact: Became a status symbol, selling 800,000 units in five months and saving Apple from oblivion.

28. CEO: Still Crazy after All These Years (2000s)

As permanent CEO, Jobs remained ruthless in pursuit of excellence, yelling at engineers during iPhone development: “This is shit! You’re making me look bad!” Yet he inspired loyalty with visions like the iPhone: “We’re going to reinvent the phone.”

• Product Launches as Theater: Keynotes became events where he introduced products as “revolutionary,” like the 2007 iPhone launch: “Today, we’re introducing three revolutionary products in one.”
• Health Secrets: Hid his pancreatic cancer diagnosis in 2004, fearing it would harm Apple’s stock, a decision that delayed treatment.

29. Apple Stores: Genius Bars and Siena Sandstone (2001)

Jobs revolutionized retail with Apple Stores, designed to be “town squares” for technology. He worked with Ron Johnson to create glass-fronted stores with Genius Bars and open layouts, rejecting traditional retail clutter.

• No Sales Commissions: “We’re not here to sell you something. We’re here to help you solve problems,” he told staff, prioritizing customer experience over profits.
• Iconic Architecture: The Fifth Avenue NYC store’s glass cube entrance: “It should be a landmark, a place people want to visit, not just shop.”

30. The Digital Hub: From iTunes to the iPod (2001–2003)

Jobs envisioned the PC as a “digital hub” for managing music, photos, and videos. The iPod, launched in 2001, synced with iTunes, creating a seamless ecosystem: “1,000 songs in your pocket.”

• Defying Microsoft: Ignored Gates’ advice to make a Windows-compatible MP3 player, instead creating a closed system that forced users into Apple’s ecosystem.
• Industry Disruption: By 2004, iPod owned 70% of the MP3 market, killing the CD player.

31. The iTunes Store: I’m the Pied Piper (2003)

Jobs strong-armed record labels into selling songs for 99¢ on the iTunes Store, ending piracy’s dominance. “We’re going to make it legal, affordable, and easy to get music,” he said, despite labels’ fears of devaluing albums.

• Negotiation Tactics: Told Sony’s Nobuyuki Idei, “You’re selling digital cocaine to kids. I’m offering you a way to get them to pay for it.”
• Legacy: Sold 1 billion songs in its first two years, redefining digital media sales.

32. Music Man: The Sound Track of His Life (2000s)

Jobs’ love for music, from Dylan to classical, influenced product design. The iPod’s shuffle feature was inspired by his habit of randomizing his vinyl collection: “Life is random. Why shouldn’t your music be?”

• Collaboration with Bono: Worked with U2 on a special red iPod, blending commerce and activism, and became a regular at Dylan’s concerts.
• Personal Connection: Believed music was a bridge between technology and emotion: “The iPod was never just a device; it was a way to carry your life’s soundtrack.”

33. Pixar’s Friends: . . . and Foes (2000s)

Pixar’s success strained its relationship with Disney, led by Michael Eisner, who undervalued its creativity. Jobs eventually struck a $7.4B deal to sell Pixar to Disney in 2006, becoming its largest shareholder and joining Disney’s board.

• Eisner Clashes: “He has no clue about creativity. He just wants to milk our films for merchandise,” Jobs fumed, leading to Eisner’s ouster.
• Disney Partnership: Worked with Bob Iger to revive Disney’s animation, proving his ability to navigate corporate politics.

34. Twenty-first-century Macs: Setting Apple Apart (2005–2006)

Jobs switched Macs from PowerPC to Intel chips, enabling faster performance and Windows compatibility. The MacBook Pro (2006), with its aluminum unibody design, set a new standard for sleek, powerful laptops.

• Engineering Boldness: “We’re betting the company on this transition. If it fails, Apple’s done,” he told the team, prioritizing innovation over loyalty to old technology.
• Design Legacy: The iMac G5’s slim profile and wireless peripherals exemplified Jobs’ “no wires” obsession.

35–41. Health Battles and Final Acts (2004–2011)

• Cancer Diagnosis (2004): Jobs delayed surgery for nine months, opting for alternative treatments, a decision he later called a mistake. “I didn’t want my body opened up,” he admitted.
• Medical Leaves (2009, 2011): Reluctantly took leaves, but returned to launch the iPad (2010), a “post-PC” device that redefined tablets.
• iPhone 4 AntennaGate (2010): Defended the phone’s design flaws with characteristic defiance: “We don’t make products for a world where people are perfect.”
• Resignation (2011): Stepped down as CEO, trusting Tim Cook to continue his vision: “I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. That day has come.”

42. Legacy: The Brightest Heaven of Invention (2011–)

Jobs died on October 5, 2011, surrounded by family, leaving a legacy of products that merged technology with art. His final words, to his sister Mona Simpson, were: “Oh, wow. Oh, wow. Oh, wow.”

• Enduring Impact: Tim Cook noted, “Steve’s fingerprint will be on Apple for decades.” The iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch continued his vision of seamless, intuitive design.
• Philosophy Immortalized: His Stanford speech mantra—*“Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish”—*became a rallying cry for innovators, encapsulating his belief in daring to defy convention.

Final Reflection

Jobs’ life was a study in contradiction: a control-obsessed perfectionist who inspired loyalty, a dropout who became a cultural icon, a man who feared abandonment yet built a company synonymous with innovation. His products weren’t just tools; they were statements—about what technology could be when guided by art, audacity, and an unyielding belief in one’s vision. As Isaacson writes, “He showed that it was possible to create hardware and software that were insanely great, and in the process, he changed the world.”