Steve Jobs is one of the most iconic figures in the tech industry and a major driving force behind Apple’s success. He was a self-made entrepreneur, visionary, and leader who left an incredible legacy. Born in 1955 to two college graduates, Jobs had a turbulent childhood with his adoptive parents – but that didn’t stop him from having a successful career at Apple and revolutionizing the tech company.
Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs was an American entrepreneur and innovator who served as the chief executive officer of Apple Inc. He was born in San Francisco, California in 1955 and is widely recognized as one of the most influential figures in modern technology. Jobs held a variety of positions within Apple over the years, but he is best known as the face of its entry into into the personal computer age with groundbreaking products like the Apple II, Macintosh, and iPod. As a technological visionary and pioneer, Steve Jobs changed the way we think about computers, ushering in unprecedented advances to society.
Jobs was also an industrial designer and media proprietor. Aside from transforming the computing industry with revolutionary products like the iPhone and iPad, his influence extended far beyond the impressive hardware designs he crafted; In 1984, Jobs co-founded Pixar Animation Studios – makers of blockbuster films such as Finding Nemo and Toy Story–and his investments helped make digital music accessible for millions with services like iTunes. He dedicated much of his life to being an innovator—an investor with a passion for creating revolutionary technology that could make our lives richer. His countless contributions made him one of history’s most admired visionaries whose legacy will endure beyond his death in 2011.
Steve Jobs – Early Days
From his humble beginnings, Steve Jobs had a passion for electronics. Born in San Francisco in 1955, he was raised in the small city of Mountain View, California; this city was later renamed to Silicon Valley. In his youth, Jobs collaborated with his father on various electronic projects and devices in their family garage. His dad would show him how to take apart electronics equipment and rebuild them. From those early experiences he learned valuable lessons such as the importance of perseverance, mechanical skills and confidence which set him on a path of success at an early age.
Through hands-on learning, Jobs was able to gain technical expertise and invaluable experience needed to start his own business in the future. That foundation built through that particular hobby gave him guidance even when difficulties presented themselves later on with Apple computers. He felt that allowing employees to take risks without punishment was key to creativity within a business environment since it allowed them freedom to find innovative solutions; this is something he carried with him from placing parts onto circuits boards as a teenager. To stay ahead of the competition, Jobs took initiative and inspiration from his beginnings in the family’s garage and subsequently raised the bar for future leaders.
Getting Apple Back on Track
When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, the company was far from its former glory. Disney character licensing, the Newton PDA, and Mac clones had all failed to capture consumer interest and cheap PCs running Windows flooded the market. Jobs knew that drastic measures needed to be taken if Apple was ever going to reclaim its former success in the computer world.
One of these steps included an investment of $150 million from Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Job’s plan for this money consisted of increasing advertising for Apple’s existing products while choking off research and development (R&D) funds for unproductive areas. This strategy led to many breakthrough products such as the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad which all contributed greatly to Apple’s return to tech prominence. Jobs grew the company into one of the most successful company multi-billion dollar businesses on Earth with consumer loyalty unmatched by any other brand.
The Second Chance CEO
When Steve Jobs was at the helm of Apple, his vision for the company was revolutionary and ahead of its time. His overarching goal from the start was to make computing simple, enjoyable and accessible to everyone. Consequently, he designed the Macintosh with this philosophy in mind, creating a user experience that kept customers hooked even when their current needs or wants weren’t being met. Jobs had faith that through such an innovative product users would understand its value even before they began using it and be convinced to buy it as a result of this realization.
Unfortunately, no one truly grasped the sheer brilliance behind his vision until 1997—a full 12 years after Jobs introduced the Macintosh—when the first “i” product rolled onto the market place. This is when people where awestruck by Job’s true genius; a genius that could have potentially been millions more innovators’ advantage had it seen more immediate recognition and validation in 1985. Indeed, if he had experienced such success earlier in life, who knows what other creative ideas Jobs may have had the opportunity to pursue during those years? We are left only to wonder what could have been if Steve Jobs’ genius been allowed space to evolve on its own timeline and course.