Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson Randall S. Waters

Background Born: February 24, 1955 1976- Founded Apple With Steve Wozniak- Launched Apple I 1977- Apple II debuts to huge success 1984- Macintosh released (First successful Computer with a gui) 1985- Resigns from apple with $7 million 1986- Starts Next inc. and funds The Graphics Group (Became Pixar) 1990- Next Workstation released (World Wide Web invented on a Next Workstation)

Background ii 1996- Apple buys Next Inc. for $427 Million- jobs becomes de facto Ceo of Apple 1998- Launches iMac (Next Operating System NextSTEp becomes Mac OS X) 2001- First Generation ipod released 2003- Jobs diagnosed with pancreatic cancer 2007- Debut of the first Generation Iphone 2010- Ipad launched October 5, 2011- Jobs passes away due to relapse of Pancreatic Cancer

What made Steve Jobs A Great Leader Apple’s internal Structure Focus/Drive Job’s Management Team

Apple’s Internal Structure At most other companies, engineering tends to drive design… For Jobs, the process tended to work the other way. In the early days of Apple, Jobs had approved the design of the case of the original Macintosh, and the engineers had to make their boards and components fit. (Jobs, 344) Jobs did not organize Apple into semiautonomous divisions; he closely controlled all of his teams and pushed them to work as one cohesive and flexible company, with one profit-and-loss bottom line. “We don’t have ‘divisions’ with their own P&L,” said Tim Cook. “We run one P&L for the company.” (Jobs, 408)

itunes vs. Zune and Walkman : (referring to Sony’s competition to iTunes) But because each division (Sony Consumer Electronics and Sony Records) tried to protect its own interests, the company as a whole never got its act together to produce an end-to-end service. (Jobs, 400) “The older I get, the more I see how much motivations matter. The Zune was crappy because the people at Microsoft don’t really love music or art the way we do. We won because we personally love music. We made the iPod for ourselves, and when you’re doing something for yourself, or your best friend or family, you’re not going to cheese out. If you don’t love something, you’re not going to go the extra mile, work the extra weekend, challenge the status quo as much.” –Jobs

Focus/Drive “Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do. That’s true for companies, and it’s true for products.” –Steve Jobs : “Steve Job’s ability to focus in on a few things that count, get people who get user interface right, and market things as revolutionary are amazing things.” – Bill Gates Jobs insisted that Apple focus on just two or three priorities at a time. “Few people are really good at that.” –Tim Cook

Steve Jobs and Larry Page (google) “We talked a lot about focus. And choosing people. How to know who to trust, and how to build a team of lieutenants he can count on. I described the blocking and tackling he would have to do to keep the company from getting flabby or being larded with B players.” –Jobs “The main thing I stressed was focus. Figure out what Google wants to be when it grows up. It’s now all over the map. What re the five products you want to focus on? Get rid of the rest, because they’re dragging you down. They’re turning you into Microsoft.” –Jobs

Job’s Management Team “There was a range of styles. Ive was emotional and expressive; Cook was as cool as steel. They knew they were expected to be deferential to Jobs while also pushing back on his ideas and being willing to argue-a trick balance to maintain, but each did it well. (jobs, 460) “I realized very early that if you didn’t voice your opinion, he would mow you down. He takes contrary positions to create more discussion, because it may lead to a better result. So if you don’t feel comfortable disagreeing, then you’ll never survive.” –Tim Cook

Summary Apple’s Freeform/Matrix structure Focus on two or three priorities Competent, confident Management team (No yes-men)