Steve jobs

9/11/2013

By: - Hussain Padrawala

Introduction:-

Steven Paul "Steve" Jobs was an American entrepreneur, marketer, and inventor, who was the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc. Through Apple, he is widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution, and for his influential career in the computer and consumer electronics fields, transforming "one industry after another, from computers and smartphones to music and movies". Jobs also co-founded and served as chief executive of Pixar Animation Studios; he became a member of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company in 2006, when Disney acquired Pixar. Jobs was among the first to see the commercial potential of Xerox PARC's mouse-driven graphical user interface, which led to the creation of the Apple Lisa and, one year later, the Macintosh. He also played a role in introducing the LaserWriter, one of the first widely available laser printers, to the market. In the late 1970s, Jobs, with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Mike Markkula, and others, designed, developed, and marketed one of the first commercially successful lines of personal computers, the Apple II series. In the early 1980s, Jobs was among the first to see the commercial potential of the mouse-driven graphical user interface which led to the creation of the Macintosh. After losing a power struggle with the board of directors in 1984, Jobs resigned from Apple and founded next, a computer platform development company specializing in the higher education and business markets. Apples subsequent 1996 buyout of NeXT brought Jobs back to the company he co-founded, and he served as its CEO from 1997 until 2011. In 1986, he acquired the computer graphics division of Lucas film Ltd which was spun off as Pixar Animation Studios. He remained CEO and majority shareholder at 50.1% until its acquisition by The Walt Disney Company in 2006. Consequently Jobs became Disneys largest individual shareholder at 7% and a member of Disneys Board of Directors. Jobs history in business has contributed much to the symbolic image of the idiosyncratic, individualistic Silicon Valley entrepreneur, emphasizing the importance of design and understanding the crucial role aesthetics play in public appeal. His work driving forward the development of products that are both functional and elegant has earned him a devoted following.

On August 24, 2011, Jobs announced his resignation from his role as Apples CEO. In his letter of resignation, Jobs strongly recommended that the Apple executive succession plan be followed and Tim Cook be named as his successor. Per his request, Jobs was appointed chairman of Apples board of directors.

Beginning of Apple:-

In 1976, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, with later funding from a then-semi-retired Intel product-marketing manager and engineer A.C. Mike Markkula Jr. founded Apple. Prior to co-founding Apple, Wozniak was an electronics hacker. Jobs and Wozniak had been friends for several years, having met in 1971, when their mutual friend, Bill Fernandez, introduced 21-year-old Wozniak to 16-yearold Jobs. Steve Jobs managed to interest Wozniak in assembling a computer and selling it. As Apple continued to expand, the company began looking for an experienced executive to help manage its expansion. In 1978, Apple recruited Mike Scott from National Semiconductor to serve as CEO for what turned out to be several turbulent years. In 1983, Steve Jobs lured John Sculley away from Pepsi-Cola to serve as Apples CEO, asking, Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world? The following year, Apple aired a Super Bowl television commercial titled 1984. At Apples annual shareholders meeting on January 24, 1984, an emotional Jobs introduced the Macintosh to a wildly enthusiastic audience; Andy Herzfeld described the scene as pandemonium. The Macintosh became the first commercially successful small computer with a graphical user interface. The development of the Mac was started by Jef Raskin, and eventually taken over by Jobs. While Jobs was a persuasive and charismatic director for Apple, some of his employees from that time had described him as an erratic and temperamental manager. An industry-wide sales slump towards the end of 1984 caused deterioration in Jobs working relationship with Sculley, and at the end of May 1985 following an internal power struggle and an announcement of significant layoffs Sculley relieved Jobs of his duties as head of the Macintosh division.

NeXT:-

Jobs founded another computer company, NeXT Computer. Like the Apple Lisa, the NeXT workstation was technologically advanced; however, it was largely dismissed by industry as cost-prohibitive. Among those who could afford it, however, the NeXT workstation garnered a strong following because of its technical strengths, chief among them its object-oriented software development system. Jobs marketed NeXT products to the scientific and academic fields because of the innovative, experimental new technologies it incorporated (such as the Mach kernel, the digital signal processor chip, and the built-in Ethernet port).

The NeXT cube was described by Jobs as an interpersonal computer, which he believed was the next step after personal computing. That is, if computers could allow people to communicate and collaborate together in an easy way, it would solve many of the problems that personal computing had come up against. During a time when e-mail for most people was plain text, Jobs loved to demo the NeXTs e-mail system, NeXT Mail, as an example of his interpersonal philosophy. NeXT Mail was one of the first to support universally visible, clickable embedded graphics and audio within e-mail.

Jobs ran neXT with an obsession for aesthetic perfection, as evidenced by such things as the NeXT cubes magnesium case. This put considerable strain on NeXTs hardware division, and in 1993, after having sold only 50,000 machines, neXT transitioned fully to software development with the release of NeXT STEP/Intel.

Pixar and Disney:-

In 1986, Jobs bought The Graphics Group (later renamed Pixar) from Lucas films computer graphics division for the price of $10 million, $5 million of which was given to the company as capital. The new company, which was originally based at Lucasfilms Kerner Studios in San Rafael, California, but has since relocated to Emeryville, California, was initially intended to be a high-end graphics hardware developer. After years of unprofitability selling the Pixar Image Computer, it contracted with Disney to produce a number of computer-animated feature films, which Disney would co-finance and distribute. The first film produced by the partnership, Toy Story, brought fame and critical acclaim to the studio when it was released in 1995. Over the next 15 years, under Pixars creative chief John Lasseter, the company would produce the box-office hits A Bugs Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredible (2004), Cars (2006), Ratatouille (2007), WALL-E (2008),Up (2009) and Toy Story 3 (2010). Finding Nemo, The Incredible, Ratatouille, WALL-E, Up and Toy Story 3each received the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, an award introduced in 2001. In the years 2003 and 2004, as Pixars contract with Disney was running out, Jobs and Disney chief executive Michael Eisner tried but failed to negotiate a new partnership, and in early 2004 Jobs announced that Pixar would seek a new partner to distribute its films once its contract with Disney expired. In October 2005, Bob Iger replaced Eisner at Disney, and Iger quickly worked to patch up relations with Jobs and Pixar. On January 24, 2006, Jobs and Iger announced that Disney had agreed to purchase Pixar in an all-stock transaction worth $7.4 billion. Once the deal closed, Jobs became The Walt Disney Companys largest single shareholder with approximately 7% of the companys stock. Jobss holdings in Disney far exceed those of Eisner, who holds 1.7%, and of Disney family member Roy E. Disney, who until his 2009 death held about 1% of the companys stock and whose criticisms of Eisner especially that he soured Disneys relationship with Pixar accelerated Eisners ousting. Jobs joined the companys board of directors upon completion of the merger. Jobs also help oversee Disney and Pixars combined animation businesses with a seat on a special six-man steering committee.

Back to Apple:-

In 1996, Apple announced that it would buy neXT for $429 million. The deal was finalized in late 1996, bringing Jobs back to the company he had co-founded. Jobs became de fact chief after then-CEO Gil Amelio was ousted in July. He was formally named interim chief executive in September 1997. In March 1998, to concentrate Apples efforts on returning to profitability, Jobs terminated a number of projects, such as Newton, Cyber dog, and OpenDoc. In the coming months, many employees developed a fear of encountering Jobs while riding in the elevator, afraid that they might not have a job when the doors opened. The reality was that Jobs summary executions were rare, but a handful of victims were enough to terrorize a whole company. Jobs also changed the licensing program for Macintosh clones, making it too costly for the manufacturers to continue making machines.

With the purchase of NeXT, much of the companys technology found its way into Apple products, most notably NeXTSTEP, which evolved into Mac OS X. Under Jobss guidance the company increased sales significantly with the introduction of the iMac and other new products; since then, appealing designs and powerful branding have worked well for Apple. At the 2000 Macworld Expo, Jobs officially dropped the interim modifier from his title at Apple and became permanent CEO.Jobs quipped at the time that he would be using the title iCEO.

In recent years, the company has branched out, introducing and improving upon other digital appliances. With the introduction of the iPod portable music player, iTunes digital music software, and the iTunes Store, the company made forays into consumer electronics and music distribution. In 2007, Apple entered the cellular phone business with the introduction of the iPhone, a multi-touch display cell phone, which also included the features of an iPod and, with its own mobile browser, revolutionized the mobile browsing scene. While stimulating innovation, Jobs also reminds his employees that real artists ship, by which he means that delivering working products on time is as important as innovation and attractive design.

Jobs is both admired and criticized for his consummate skill at persuasion and salesmanship, which has been dubbed the reality distortion field and is particularly evident during his keynote speeches (colloquially known as Steve notes) at Macworld Expos and at Apples own Worldwide Developers Conferences.

 In 2005, Jobs responded to criticism of Apples poor recycling programs for e-waste in the U.S. by lashing out at environmental and other advocates at Apples Annual Meeting in Cupertino in April. However, a few weeks later, Apple announced it would take back iPods for free at its retail stores. The Computer Take Back Campaign responded by flying a banner from a plane over the Stanford University graduation at which Jobs was the commencement speaker. The banner read Steve dont be a mini-player recycle all e-waste. In 2006, he further expanded Apples recycling programs to any U.S. customer who buys a new Mac. This program includes shipping and environmentally friendly disposal of their old systems.

What inspire me:-

1. Focus: When Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, it was producing a random array of computers and peripherals. After a few weeks of product review sessions, he shouted, Stop! This is crazy. Their job, he told his team members, was to focus on four great products. All other products should be cancelled. But by getting Apple to focus on making just four computers, he saved the company. Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do, he told Isaacson. Thats true for companies, and its true for products.

2. Simplify: Jobs Zen like ability to focus was accompanied by the related instinct to simplify things by zeroing in on their essence and eliminating unnecessary components. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication, declared Apples first marketing brochure. During the design of the iPod interface, Jobs tried at every meeting to find ways to cut clutter. He insisted on being able to get to whatever he wanted in three clicks.

3. Take Responsibility End to End: Jobs and Apple took end-to-end responsibility for the user experiencesomething too few companies do. From the performance of the ARM microprocessor in the iPhone to the act of buying that phone in an Apple Store, every aspect of the customer experience was tightly linked together.

4. When Behind, Leapfrog: The mark of an innovative company is not only that it comes up with new ideas first. It also knows how to leapfrog when it finds itself behind. That happened when Jobs built the original iMac. He focused on making it useful for managing a users photos and videos, but it was left behind when dealing with music. People with PCs were downloading and swapping music and then ripping and burning their own CDs. The iMacs slot drive couldnt burn CDs. But instead of merely catching up by upgrading the iMacs CD drive, he decided to create an integrated system that would transform the music industry. \

 The result was the combination of iTunes, the iTunes Store, and the iPod, which allowed users to buy, share, manage, store, and play music better than they could with any other devices.

5. Put Products Before Profits: When Jobs and his small team designed the original Macintosh, in the early 1980s, his injunction was to make it insanely great. At his first retreat with the Macintosh team, he began by writing a maxim on his whiteboard: Dont compromise. The machine that resulted cost too much and led to Jobs ouster from Apple. But the Macintosh also put a dent in the universe, as he said, by accelerating the home computer revolution. And in the long run he got the balance right: Focus on making the product great and the profits will follow.

6. Dont Be a Slave to Focus Groups: When Jobs took his original Macintosh team on its first retreat; one member asked whether they should do some market research to see what customers wanted. No, Jobs replied, Because customers dont know what they want until weve shown them. He invoked Henry Fords line If Id asked customers what they wanted, they would have told me, A faster horse! Caring deeply about what customers want is much different from continually asking them what they want; it requires intuition and instinct about desires that have not yet formed. Our task is to read things that are not yet on the page, Jobs explained. The people in the Indian countryside dont use their intellect like we do; they use their intuition instead, he recalled. Intuition is a very powerful thingmore powerful than intellect, in my opinion.

7. Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish: Jobs stayed hungry and foolish throughout his career by making sure that the business and engineering aspect of his personality was always complemented by a hippie nonconformist side from his days as an artistic, acid-dropping, enlightenment-seeking rebel. In every aspect of his lifethe women he dated, the way he dealt with his cancer diagnosis, the way he ran his businesshis behaviour reflected the contradictions, confluence, and eventual synthesis of all these varying strands.

The passing of the legend:-

Jobs died at his Palo Alto, California, home around 3 pm on October 5, 2011, due to complications from a relapse of his previously treated islet-cell neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer, resulting in respiratory arrest. He had lost consciousness the day before, and died with his wife, children, and sisters at his side. Both Apple and Microsoft flew their flags at half-staff throughout their respective headquarters and campuses. Bob Igor ordered all Disney properties, including Walt Disney World and Disneyland, to fly their flags at half-staff, from October 6 to 12, 2011.

His death was announced by Apple in a statement which read: We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today. Steves brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve. His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts. For two weeks following his death, Apple's corporate Web site displayed a simple page, showing Jobs name and lifespan next to his grayscale portrait. Clicking on the image led to an obituary, which read: Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple. An email address was also posted for the public to share their memories, condolences, and thoughts. Over a million tributes were sent, which are now displayed on the Steve Jobs memorial page. Also dedicating its homepage to Jobs was Pixar, with a photo of Jobs, John Lasseter and Edwin Catmull, and the eulogy they wrote: Steve was an extraordinary visionary, our very dear friend, and our guiding light of the Pixar family. He saw the potential of what Pixar could be before the rest of us, and beyond what anyone ever imagined. Steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films; the one thing he always said was to 'make it great.' He is why Pixar turned out the way we did and his strength, integrity, and love of life has made us all better people. He will forever be part of Pixar's DNA. Our hearts go out to his wife Laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time.

 A small private funeral was held on October 7, 2011, of which details were not revealed out of respect to Jobs's family. Apple announced on the same day that they had no plans for a public service, but were encouraging "well-wishers" to send their remembrance messages to an email address created to receive such messages. Sunday, October 16, 2011, was declared "Steve Jobs Day" by Governor Jerry Brown of California. On that day, an invitation-only memorial was held at Stanford University. Those in attendance included Apple and other tech company executives, members of the media, celebrities, close friends of Jobs, and politicians, along with Jobs's family. Bono, Yo Yo Ma, and Joan Baez performed at the service, which lasted longer than an hour. The service was highly secured, with guards at all of the university's gates, and a helicopter flying overhead from an area news station. A private memorial service for Apple employees was held on October 19, 2011, on the Apple Campus in Cupertino. Present were Cook, Bill Campbell, Norah Jones, Al Gore, and Coldplay, and Jobs's widow, Laurene. Some of Apple's retail stores closed briefly so employees could attend the memorial. A video of the service is available on Apple's website. Jobs are buried in an unmarked grave at Alta Mesa Memorial Park, the only nondenominational cemetery in Palo Alto. He is survived by Laurene, his wife of 20 years, their three children, and Lisa Brennan-Jobs, his daughter from a previous relationship. His family released a statement saying that he "died peacefully". His sister, Mona Simpson, described his passing thus: "Steves final words, hours earlier, were monosyllables, repeated three times. Before embarking, hed looked at his sister Patty, then for a long time at his children, then at his lifes partner, Laurene, and then over their shoulders past them. Steves final words were: OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW." He then lost consciousness and died several hours later.