I am not going to recap all the millions of words in honor of Steve Jobs. No doubt he was a genius in the Thomas Edison realm. No doubt he changed the way we view the world. He had a profound impact on our lives.
What I want to discuss is how he bounced back from being fired by Apple.
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started Apple when they were 20. Over a decade built it into a successful business. They created a Board of Directors and brought in a ‘professional’ CEO. The new CEO John Scully convinced the board that Steve Jobs was not right for the company, They forced him out.
Think about that – APPLE FIRED STEVE JOBS.
Then Jobs went on to create NeXT and Pixar. Built up Pixar and sold it to Disney. He was the single largest shareholder in Disney.
Apple without Jobs was a disaster and almost bankrupt.
Twelve years later, Jobs is back running Apple.
He builds Apple into the most important company in the world. When he stepped down, Apple was the highest valued company in America. Bigger than Exxon-Mobil. Bigger than MicroSoft. Bigger than Boeing. Bigger than Halliburton.
So, Steve Jobs not only created one of the greatest companies ever — he also is a hero to anyone who has been canned by their company.
He got the biggest and sweetest revenge, he returned and saved the company that ousted him.
I admire Jobs for many things, but this makes me smile more than any.
Thank you Steve.
