What did Steve Jobs leave us after his death?

Apple, the child created by the hands of Steve Jobs, has become the technology company with the largest capitalization in the world. Under his guidance, Apple has shaped and dominated the technology world for more than a decade. From the simple Ipod, the revolutionary Iphone, to the latest Vision Pro glasses, touching them, we still feel the endless inspiration that Steve left behind.

What else do we get from this great man? Those are the lessons from Steve. How he ran his company, how he learned, how he created and developed products, how he approached innovation and risk - all are things we can learn from Steve Jobs. He was not only a founder and a leader, but also a guiding spirit, inspiring millions of people around the world to pursue their passions and constantly seek perfection.

The day Steve Jobs said goodbye to the world was also a rare day, when the whole world shared a loss. Profile photos were changed to the black Apple logo, “isad” tweets were posted, and bouquets of flowers were placed in front of Apple Stores. It turns out that, in many people’s minds, the image of Steve Jobs is bigger than the image of an administrator or an inspirational person. Steve Jobs’ legacy probably goes beyond iPhones, or words. praise him. Steve’s legacy is the story of his life. In this article, let’s review the film slices of Steve’s life, what made the man who loved Bob Dylan such a great man. First, let’s start with the question: What was Steve’s childhood like?

Childhood

Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955, in San Francisco, USA.

Steve’s father is Paul Reinhold Jobs. He grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. Paul did not finish high school but dropped out to work as a mechanic. At the age of 19, he officially joined the Coast Guard. Steve’s mother is Clara. She was born in New Jersey, then her family moved to downtown San Francisco when Clara was a child.

Paul met Clara after being discharged from the Coast Guard. Both have built a happy and model family like in the 50s of last century. Only one thing makes the picture of their lives partially missing: Mrs. Clara cannot have children. And so, they adopted Steve.

From a young age, Steve Jobs knew the truth that he was an adopted child. And the thoughts surrounding this story affected young Steve very much.

When he was 6-7 years old, the girl living across the street asked Steve, “You were adopted because your biological parents didn’t need you anymore, right?”. Jobs ran home and sobbed. But the adoptive parents looked Steve straight in the eyes and said solemnly: “We specifically wanted to adopt you.”

“Abandoned”, “Chosen”, “Special”. Those concepts became a part of Jobs’ personality, and even his lifestyle. His close friends believe that these injuries motivated Steve to want complete control over everything he created. But these same pains also helped him become more independent, helping him “choose a different direction to surpass what life had given him since birth.” Not only did it give Steve confidence, Paul Jobs also passed on his love of mechanics and repairing machines to his son. He pointed to a desk area in his garage and said, “Steve, from now on, this will be your desk.”

Steve was also impressed by his father’s ingenuity and craftsmanship. “He likes to do everything perfectly. He pays attention to the parts that people usually don’t pay attention to.”

Working with his father in the garage gave Steve his first experiences with electronics and machinery. In addition, Paul’s meticulous personality also influenced him greatly, nurturing in Steve a passion for creating products with exquisite designs.

Seven blocks from Steve’s house there was a neighbor who had a strong influence on Steve, his name was Larry Lang. Larry was an engineer at HP whom Steve described as “a brilliant electronics engineer.” While traveling with Lang, Steve was introduced to a wireless microphone and speaker system. This is completely contrary to what his father taught, that a microphone always needs an electronic amplifier.

That was the first time Steve realized the fact that he was smarter and sharper than his parents. Not long after, he discovered that his own parents also realized this truth. Steve grew up torn between two feelings, that of an abandoned child and that of a special person. Perhaps this had a great impact on the formation of Steve Jobs’ later personality.

University

The older Steve gets, the more clearly he appears to be a ‘special’ person. During his final years in high school, Steve experimented with a strict diet consisting only of vegetables and fruits. This made him as lean and slender as a Whippet racing dog. He had shoulder-length hair and a scraggly beard, adding even more ‘crazy’ personality to his appearance.

Seventeen years ago, when they adopted Steve, Mr. and Mrs. Paul and Clara pledged to send him to college. So, they saved up enough money, although not much, but enough for Jobs to be able to study after graduating from high school. But things didn’t go so smoothly.

Steve joked that he wouldn’t go to college, causing his parents to react harshly. Steve didn’t even care about choosing a school, not even Stanford, which was right near his home and would most likely be willing to give him a scholarship. Steve being Steve, he had his boldness. And he insisted on enrolling at Reed College, a social science school in Portland with the most expensive tuition in America. His parents, of course, objected because of that financial barrier. But both had to give in to Steve’s ultimatum: If they don’t study at Reed, they won’t study anywhere else.

In college, Steve learned more deeply about the spiritual world. He admitted that he was deeply influenced by many books on this theme, especially Be Here Now by Ram Dass, which leads readers into the world of meditation and hallucinogenic drugs.

Jobs’s attachment to the Eastern spiritual world, especially Zen Buddhism, is not just a temporary passion. He pursued it with all his heart like his inherent personality. We can see this through Jobs’s simple and sophisticated aesthetic.

Besides books about spirituality, vegetarianism is also something that Steve pursued throughout his early college years. The book that inspired this habit for Jobs was Diet for a Small Planet. According to his friend’s description, Steve now lives solely on Roman Meal cereal. He often buys a large box to last a week.

Steve’s habit became even crazier when he read the book Mucusless Diet Healing System. He believes that eating nothing but fruits and vegetables will help prevent the body from secreting harmful mucus. That means he also stopped Roman Meal cereal, or all kinds of bread and nuts.

Steve’s manifestations of madness, such as learning about spirituality, meditating, using stimulants, and becoming a vegetarian, are an effort in the quest for enlightenment of the times.

……

Very soon, Steve felt that Reed was not what he imagined. He felt bored because he was forced to study required school subjects. Jobs only wanted to learn what he wanted, such as dance classes to satisfy his creativity and have the opportunity to meet girls. Actually, Jobs didn’t want to leave Reed, he just wanted to get rid of the subjects that he didn’t feel interested in.

Surprisingly, Reed school agreed to that request. The student administrator, Dudman, allowed Jobs to audit classes and dorms even after he stopped paying tuition.

From that moment on, Steve was free to take the courses he wanted. Among them, there was a subject that honed his sophistication, and also directly influenced later Apple devices. It is calligraphy.

“I learned about writing serif and sans-serif typefaces, how to customize the spacing between characters, and how to make stylized letters more impressive. The art of calligraphy is beautiful, classic and rich in artistic talent, something that science cannot capture. And I find it very attractive.”

This is what Steve shared about the calligraphy course, which is also clear evidence that Steve’s personality is a harmonious intersection between two circles, one side is art and the other side is technology.

Apple

Idea

Stephen Wozniak is a friend Steve has known since high school. Although Woz is 5 years older than Steve, they both share common interests in technology and music. In terms of understanding electronic design, Woz was many steps ahead of Steve. At an age when Steve was still wondering about the carbon microphone that his father couldn’t explain, Woz used transistors to build a communication connection system. If Steve is the soul, then Woz is the heart that created Apple.

The 1960s were the years of the technology boom in America. Military contractors, followed by electronics companies, microprocessor manufacturers, video game designers, etc. have created a new culture associated with modern technology. . But there are also children who feel lost in this transition period, which has created a rebellious culture on the other side.

Initially, the techies and the rebellious kids did not have a good relationship with each other. Many members of the counterculture movement viewed computers as suspicious and capable of taking away the freedom of life.

However, by the early 70s, society had changed again. As many analysts have proven, computers are gradually becoming a symbol of individuality and freedom. Giant corporations at that time treated computers in a stereotypical way. But people who follow cultural movements are different, those “drug users” who wear flip-flops see things in their own way - rebellious. They are the creators of the 21st century.

In January 1975, the first personal computer was introduced in a magazine. It’s called the Altair, and consists of a block of parts soldered to a simply made circuit board. But technology people, when looking at Altair, understood that this was a signal for the dawn of a new era, the era of personal computers. 2 months later, Woz saw this computer with his own eyes.

The Homebrew Computer Club is seen as a fusion of the technology movement and the counterculture. The club’s first meeting took place on March 5, 1975, including a session devoted to launching the new Altair computer product. Woz participated in this meeting, which was one of the most important evenings of his life. Woz has seen the specifications for Altair’s processor. From then on, he was enlightened.

He began designing a terminal, with a keyboard and screen capable of connecting to a remote minicomputer. Wozniak uses a microprocessor in the device, giving it some remote minicomputer capabilities. Keyboard, display, and calculator, all integrated. “The whole idea of a personal computer just popped into my head,” he said. “That night, I began sketching on paper what would come to be known as the Apple I.”

Jobs was extremely impressed when he learned about Woz’s computer. Jobs excitedly began completing some parts related to memory. However, Woz is naive and believes in the philosophy of the Computer Club. “The theme of the club,” he said, “is to help others.” But Steve is not like that, he does not accept the view that Wozniak’s inventions are for free. That’s the difference between the two. Woz always puts himself in an average position, but Steve always has room for his ambition.

Finally, Woz was convinced by Steve, and the two began working on their first commercial computers. The computers were fully integrated, user-friendly designed to make an unfamiliar device friendly and necessary for every family at that time. Woz with his outstanding technical abilities, with Jobs’s ingenious leadership and “reality distortion” vision, both opened a new era of personal computers.

Born, released

Apple Computer. Who came up with this ridiculous combination? It doesn’t even make sense.

Steve is like that. That name reflected his personality. Apples are the fruit he chooses for his strict vegetarian diet. Juxtaposed with the word computer, this name brings a sense of friendliness, fun, and vitality to a lifeless block of machinery.

On April 1, 1976, Apple computer was founded with three shareholders, including Steve Jobs, Stephen Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. But not long after, Wayne left, leaving the Apple ship for the Steve duo to steer. Woz was assigned the main responsibility for operating electronic technology, while Jobs would be in charge of business and marketing related matters.

The Apple I was first introduced by Jobs and Woz in a presentation at the Homebrew computer club. Woz demonstrated what Apple has over competing computers, a computer with an easy-to-use keyboard and all the components integrated. Only a few viewers pay attention to Apple products, but among them, there is Paul Terrell.

Paul was the owner of a computer store chain called Byte Shop. He was quite impressed with the Apple I and decided to order 50 units after discussing with Jobs. And so, Apple Computer had its first order.

Jobs’s house in Los Altos became the assembly point for 50 Apple I circuit boards. All the manpower was mobilized: Jobs, Woz, his high school friend Kottke and his ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Holmes, along with her Jobs’ sister Patty.

Steve not only made 50 computers for Paul’s order, but also made 50 more to sell to friends, and 100 for retail. The wholesale price that Jobs and Paul agreed on was $500 for each Apple I. But when it came to retail, Jobs raised the price to $666.66, which conflicted with Woz when he thought they should only sell them at a price just enough to cover production costs. Steve is different, he wants high profits, and the price of $666.66 he chose is 3 times the production cost.

The Apple I’s success came not only from the fact that it was one of the first personal computers to be marketed, but also from the way Jobs and Wozniak approached sales and marketing of the product. The $666.66 price that Jobs set may be controversial, but it also reflects Jobs’ business strategy: creating value, not only through the product but also through the way the product is presented and sold. to the market. This has helped create an image of Apple as a groundbreaking company, willing to challenge convention and deliver products that are not only technically powerful but also superior in terms of design and user experience. use.

Contradictions

Learning from the Apple I, Steve Jobs and his colleagues created the revolutionary Apple II computer. Jobs realized the importance of a “complete package computer”, with all the features integrated. Apple II did its job well. 16 years since its launch, nearly 6 million Apple II devices have been sold, opening up a personal computer industry.

Apple had now become one of the pioneering companies in Silicon Valley, and Steve still assumed the role of Chairman and CEO for his child. But Steve Jobs seems to still be able to cope with his increasing responsibility every day. The pressure caused him to gradually show anger and behave like a child. Steve will not hesitate to say that the products made by his employees are trash.

Jobs also had hygiene problems. He continued to maintain a strict vegetarian diet, claiming that this regime would help him avoid having to bathe frequently. Sometimes, to relieve stress, Jobs even washed his feet in the toilet, an unpleasant action.

Tension occurs in the relationship between Woz and Steve. Woz hates the childish personality and conflicts and discord that Steve causes. During the design of the Apple II, Woz had a conflict with Steve, who believed that the device needed eight slots to help users plug in additional peripherals. Steve only wanted the number 2 slots, this time Woz was determined and did not compromise. Woz’s idea was eventually approved, but he also saw that his power had been encroached upon by Steve within the company.

Jobs’ desire to control Apple and his reckless attitude toward power were a real problem for management. Maybe Steve lost control when burdened with an Apple that was growing too fast, or maybe this was who Steve was.

Departure

In 1985, Apple truly became a giant in the electronics world. Captivating devices like the Apple II, Apple III, Lisa and Mac raised Apple’s reputation, and with it, of course, Jobs’s reputation. However, under the bright light of success, the darkness of disagreement and contradiction also gradually appears.

Macintosh was born in that contradiction. Steve used what people call “reality distortion” to create a Macintosh computer with elegant beauty on the outside and enormous power on the inside.

“He wanted everything to be completed by January 1982, one year ahead of schedule!” - “This is crazy. This is impossible!” That was the reaction of the Mac development team when they heard about Jobs’s request. But strangely, the group seemed to be caught in Jobs’s trap.

One day, Jobs burst into the room of an engineer developing the Macintosh’s operating system and complained that the system was taking too long to boot. Engineer Kenyon started to explain but Steve interrupted him, “If it’s enough to save one person’s life, will you reduce the boot time by 10 seconds?” Steve asked. Kenyon said he could. “So, if there were 5 million people using Macs and if we could save 10 seconds on booting up every day, we could save 300,000 hours a year, which equates to hundreds of lives potentially saved each year.” Kenyon was so impressed, he returned a few weeks later and the Mac booted 28 seconds faster than before. Even later, Steve still used this method to show influence on the big picture. Many people believe that the roots of this behavior date back to Jobs’s childhood. As a child, he “distorted reality” with his stubborn personality to get what he wanted. As he grew older, Steve used this ability more and more at work.

The way Jobs uses “reality distortion” in his work is not just to impose his will on others; it is also the way he evokes belief and passion in each individual. He is always looking for ways to stimulate creativity, encouraging his team to see what is possible, not just what is.

Wozniak understood this: “Jobs’s ability to distort reality was demonstrated when he thought of an unreasonable plan for the future, such as when he told me that I could design the game Breakout in just a few days. We understand that it is an impossible thing, but somehow he made it possible.”

Or in the process of creating the iPhone, Apple made a breakthrough when it introduced a mobile device with multi-touch capabilities, a very strange technology when competitors at that time were still loyal to the iPhone. physical keys.

Not only at Apple, Steve also knows how to apply this behavior to his partners. In his journey to find a partner to process glass for the first generation of iPhone, Jobs met with leaders of Corning Glass. There, he was introduced to a type of glass called Gorilla Glass, which is highly durable and resistant. However, because it could not find a market, this type of glass was abandoned by Corning. Yet, Jobs asked Corning to produce as much as possible within six months. At first, Corning’s leadership was surprised, but then, Corning gathered all the best scientists and engineers to make Jobs’ request come true.

Steve was right, his ability to “distort reality” was really effective. There was only one problem: Jobs didn’t seem to realize that this behavior was also “distorting” his very soul.

In the soul of Steve Jobs, obsession with perfection was more than just a personality trait; it is a core principle that governs every decision. However, inside Steve there are many contradictions. “If you chase two rabbits at the same time, you won’t catch either one.” Steve pursued perfection in both the Macintosh and in the way the company was run, and that was impossible.

Those who worked closely with Steve, including Wozniak, recognized this problem right when the Apple I launched. Apple needs a president with enough experience to develop, not a Steve who often gets angry or bursts into tears during debates.

Following the development of the Macintosh computer, tensions between Jobs and Sculley - Apple’s CEO at that time - continuously escalated.

Scully was appointed CEO of Apple in 1983. Steve Jobs invited him from PepsiCo to help Apple transform from a startup into a strong business. The first time Sculley visited Apple, he was extremely impressed by Apple’s work culture, an atmosphere as rustic and comfortable as Steve’s style. Jobs also liked Sculley’s understanding. The two quickly became “souls”.

But not long after, Steve realized it was all an illusion.

Jobs said that Sculley was not a product person, he did not make any effort to understand the core points of the products they were creating. On the contrary, Sculley thinks that Steve focuses too much on small details on devices, believing that this obsession is counterproductive.

The two also oppose each other in the way they treat employees in the company. Steve, when the Macintosh disappointed by only achieving 10% of forecast sales, became frustrated and angrily blamed everyone. He used the people around him as a place to vent his anger. In contrast to Sculley’s calm image, he wanted to avoid direct confrontations with Jobs, and “keep the peace and pay attention to relationships.”

As tensions continued to escalate, Jobs and Sculley fought over management of the Mac development department. Understanding that the decision to hire this CEO was wrong, Steve plotted to manipulate the board of directors to overthrow Sculley, but it was too late.

A year ago, Jobs and Sculley flew to Cambridge, Massachusetts to visit Edwin Land, the founder of Polaroid Corporation and Steve’s idol. Jobs said that “All he (Edwin) did was help change millions of incompetent people, and they kicked him out of his company.” Now, Sculley has done the same thing with Jobs.

Friday, May 24, 1985. Apple Executive Board meeting takes place. The coup plan was revealed, Jobs had to confront Sculley directly to determine his fate. Jobs still insisted Sculley didn’t understand Apple and that Scully should leave the company. “I wanted you here to help me grow, and you haven’t helped me at all.”

Sculley lost his temper under pressure from Steve, he began to stutter and took a big gamble. He organized a poll of the entire board of directors, saying, “Me or Steve, who do you vote for?”. Even later, Steve was still angry when he remembered: “He was so cunning… In that situation only an idiot would vote for me.”

It’s true, although everyone loved Jobs, everyone chose Sculley.

Jobs was kicked out of his company. He walked out of the room without anyone following.

In the days that followed, Jobs sat alone at home. For hours, he played tapes of Bob Dylan, especially the song The Times They Are A-Changin’.

“For the loser now/ Will be later to win”

Comeback

In Greek mythology, Prometheus is a special god. Prometheus created humanity from mud, raised people, taught them from astronomical knowledge to agriculture. Prometheus loved his children more than his father, Zeus, so he stole the divine fire to give to humanity.

This action of Prometheus made Zeus angry. Zeus then punished Prometheus by tying him to a rock, where an eagle came every day to eat his liver, which grew back at night to recur in pain. In the end, Prometheus was rescued by Hercules, a human hero.

If anyone sympathizes with Prometheus, it must be Steve Jobs. Just as Titan brought fire to humanity, Jobs brought to the world technologies and products that changed the way we live, work and communicate. Both faced opposition and punishment from higher powers - Prometheus from Zeus and Jobs from the Apple board.

The similarity between them also lies in their deep love for their “cubs”. Prometheus loved humanity, a creature he created from mud and sacrificed himself to bring knowledge and power. Jobs, although he did not create people, created groundbreaking products and put all his love, passion and vision into them.

Both Prometheus and Jobs suffered for their choices and actions, but they are also remembered as innovators and bringers of light. Prometheus’ suffering under the eagle’s clutches every day symbolizes the high price that creativity sometimes has to pay. Similarly, Jobs also went through dark times from being fired from Apple to the challenges of building NeXT and Pixar.

And finally, like the Prometheus rescued by Hercules, Steve also has the opportunity to return to Apple.

…..

“Elvis’s return could not have created a greater emotion than that,” said Jim Carlton, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal.

The entire auditorium stood up, filled with applause, whistles, and cheers as they witnessed Steve return to Apple after more than a decade. He returned to save the company and his child, which was on the verge of collapse.

Since the day Steve stepped out of that admin room, Apple seemed to have lost its creative fire. Declining revenue and increasingly fierce competition from Microsoft and other PC manufacturers put the company in a precarious financial situation. Apple products no longer make a big splash in the market. The whole company realized they needed a new source of inspiration, a strong leader with a breakthrough vision who could bring the company back to a leading position. What other choice is there besides Jobs?

At this time, Jobs no longer held power like before. Jobs returned initially as a part-time consultant, and continued to operate Pixar (the animation company he founded after leaving Apple). But among an aging board of directors, Steve’s voice still carries special power.

Steve’s first impression after returning to Apple that the public felt was probably the “Think different” campaign. It’s special right in the name. If written grammatically correctly, it should be “think differently”. But Jobs wanted to use the word “different” as a noun. In addition to commercial advertisements broadcast on television. Steve also created one of the most memorable print advertising campaigns in history. Each flyer is a black-and-white portrait of a historical figure with the Apple Logo and the words “Think Different.” Most of them are Jobs’ personal idols, representing creativity, taking risks, betting their lives to work in different ways.

Steve has once again lit the creative fire that Apple had lost. He began to engage more deeply with his child. Steve Jobs became Apple’s interim CEO in 1997 and then officially took over as CEO in 2000.

With power in his hands, he made changes that reshaped Apple’s future. He cut a series of ineffective projects, focusing resources on a few products capable of bringing breakthroughs. First and foremost, the iMac launched in 1998, with its unique design and striking colors, quickly became a symbol of innovation and helped revive the spirit and image of Apple.

After the success of the iMac, Jobs continued to lead Apple through new and adventurous projects, including iPod, iTunes, iPhone and iPad. Each product ushers in a new era for industry and consumer habits, from the way we listen to music to the way we communicate and access information. The success of these products not only solidified Apple’s leadership position in the technology industry but also made the company one of the most valuable brands in the world to this day.

Conclude

It would be absurd if I dared to conclude anything about the person of Steve Jobs, because his greatness goes beyond what writing can describe. But if I were to choose an image to represent Steve, I would choose a picture of the “yin and yang circle”, an image that Steve encountered while poring over the book “Be Here Now”.

At first glance at the painting, we might think it represents a contradiction. Like how Steve sees the world in a binary way. Either this product is great, or it’s trash. Either you are a genius, otherwise you are trash. He once criticized former President Obama, saying, “He has leadership problems because he doesn’t want to offend people or make people angry… Yes, that’s not the problem I have.”

Jobs was stronger than that, he had a unifying ideal when looking at things. And it is this display of strength that motivates him to motivate his employees. Jobs elicited excellence from those around him by challenging them, sometimes to the extreme. He has created an environment where everyone faces the challenge of becoming the best version of themselves.

Besides the contradiction and opposition between white and black, between two extremes in one subject, the painting also evokes the importance of harmony.

Steve is a blend between a genius engineer and a true artist. His hands have transformed rough, rough technology into devices of exquisite beauty. And Apple is fully inheriting that spirit in every product they create. From the curved lines on each iPhone, to the fonts displayed to users, they are imbued with pieces of Steve Jobs’ personality: passion, perfectionism, mischievousness, desire, character. his art, his recklessness, and his obsessions.

Jobs is also a marketing master with his masterful storytelling ability. He knows how to create a story around a product, transforming it from an inanimate object into an emotional experience that connects with customers on a deep level. The 1984 commercial for the Macintosh line is a prime example. When the crowd first saw it, they jumped, screamed and punched the air wildly.

But if you strip away those flashy layers, Steve Jobs is still a child carrying on his shoulders the ultimate desire for creativity, the passion to create products that can break through all limits.

On August 24, 2011, Jobs had to accept the fact that he no longer had the strength to return to the position of CEO of Apple and transferred this position to Tim Cook. In the final chapters of his life, Jobs struggled with incurable cancer. But even in that situation, he always kept thoughts about what technology he could improve.

So, what is Steve Jobs’ legacy? Surely, each individual will have their own opinion when fully accessing his life story. Until now, people still review the story of Jobs’s life, a story about a great inventor, a true artist, or a boy with endless passion.

As for Steve Jobs, in an interview with Walter Isaacson on the evening of August 24 - the day he left the CEO position at Apple. When asked by Walter how he felt about giving up control of the company, Jobs responded

“I’ve had a very lucky career, a very lucky life… I’ve done everything I can.”