The news of Steve Jobs’ resignation is filling websites, newspapers, and social networks. Whether you love Apple or not, agree with its policies or not, whether you like Steve or not, you cannot deny his creativity and the achievements he made for Apple.
Steve Jobs was a person passionate about discovery, domineering, with a strong and influential personality. He listened only to his own voice and way of thinking. He believed that he was always right and never respected the administrative hierarchy. He didn’t care about the board’s decisions; his goal was the top priority, regardless of the cost.
The word “without” was the most significant in his life; he was without a family, without friends, without a degree, without a profession, and even without a job. But he had a bigger word: dream, perseverance, and drive. He was searching for an identity, and Apple was his identity.
Steve Jobs was born in 1955 in California, which greatly influenced his personality. He had a different attitude, a tendency to challenge different beliefs, and a love for changing the concepts of things around him. He couldn’t easily get along with people in general, even with friends his age, because he wanted to steer things his way. His voice was the only thing he listened to, and this behavior grew with him, especially after he founded Apple. He loved electronics and delved deeper into them, trying to connect with those who were older and more knowledgeable in the world of electronics, like his partner Steve Wozniak, who was four years older. Steve was 20 years old, and his friend Wozniak was 24 when they founded Apple.
It’s known that Steve Jobs dropped out of college to work at Atari in 1972, where he saw his future. Atari was a big company at that time, helping him understand company behavior, products, and how to market and manage them. His stint there was only six months, but it was the only period that developed the character of Steve, who lacked traditions, culture, and even technical expertise, which he later honed.
Apple was founded in 1976 and received financial backing two years later. The company’s idea was based on building the first computer with a colored screen, keyboard, and storage system. He wanted to change the concept of the personal computer, which led him to sell his Volkswagen and convince his friend Wozniak to sell his calculator to build the first “Apple” device.
Steve’s strong personality helped him succeed; he convinced his friend to sell his calculator and transform his home, which wasn’t even his but his adoptive parents’, into a factory and workshop. The garage became the workshop, his room the storage, and the living room the assembly area. He turned the whole house into a factory for Apple. He also convinced Wozniak not to sell the design rights for Apple. Wozniak was a dedicated scientist and engineer, but creativity was Steve’s strength. Both suffered greatly; Wozniak wanted his idea to become a reality, even if it wasn’t his, while Jobs wanted the idea, the work, and everything to be theirs alone. The two faced much rejection of their ideas and beliefs, as the concept of the personal computer was not accepted, and there was a prevailing belief that there was no market for it. Even major manufacturers and companies like “Atari” and “Intel” rejected these ideas, causing the two to suffer greatly while pursuing this idea, despite everyone’s rejection.
Steve married Laurene Powell in 1991 when he was 43 years old.
Now, let’s jump forward in time and tell you that Apple sold 130,000 Apple II devices. Some companies started to change their ideas slightly, like IBM, which launched its first computer under its name. But remember, Apple’s operating system was exclusive to its devices, a point Steve regretted later in the mid-1980s.
There were several other devices Apple introduced to the market besides the Apple II, such as:
Lisa, Macintosh, and Apple III. None of them were compatible with each other. Despite Apple constantly being on the brink of bankruptcy and in a perpetual struggle to secure funds, and despite the succession of managements, Steve Jobs’ personality, innovations, ideas, determination, and remarkable vision were the dominant factors that led Apple to success to this day.