In his 35 years old career this man has made a company of more than $350 billion in market capitalization. Compare this figure (m-cap) to the centuries old corporations like IBM ($217 billion), Nokia ($21billion), Sony ($18 billion), and you will keep your mouth wide-open.
And just have the look at the m-cap numbers of its contemporary companies: Microsoft ($219 billion), Oracle ($158 billion) and Dell Computers (only $27 billion). All figures are accessed from yahoo finance on 08 October 2011. Apple Inc. has reserves of $76 billion enough to buy Reliance Industries and still be left with around $20 billion.
The achievement itself becomes remarkable when a pure technology based company out-paced the likes of ExxonMobil (energy giant) to become the number 1 company on the planet. Yes the company is Apple Inc. and the man who made dent in the sky by such astonishing figure was Steve Jobs.
As it is not only about numbers, Steve has built up a legacy and touch the lives of millions all across the globe. His creative genius got manifested in product made by Apple.Started from Apple I to Macintosh there have been break-through which keeps rolling from Apple’s stable and latest sensation is iPad & iPhone4. The i phenomenon started way back in 1998 has changed the landscape of communication, mobile computing and digital entertainment completely.
Steve Jobs was neither a business graduate nor an engineer. He was not even the legitimate child of his parents. Born to an unwed mother and adopted by Paul family faced very odd situation throughout his life. But despite all adversity from childhood to youth, Steve has not only made the world’s number one company but also built up a legacy that everyone wishes to emulate. Steve Paul Jobs is no more now. He left this world on October 6. And as the man himself was outlier so was cry for him from all corner of the world.
Never before the whole world ubiquitously–from business to political arena- expressed their grief on the demise of an entrepreneur. But this man was different because he always was ahead of his time. He gave the world new mantra to Think Different. At a time when Steve has left this world this would be pertinent to have a look on the life of such a visionary personality.
Steve has earned a cult like status not only for himself but for Apple Inc. as well. He co-founded the Apple Computers in 1976 with his engineer friend Steve Woznaik. Within decade engineer Woznaik & entrepreneur Jobs made Apple Computers a $2 billion company (1985)with 4,000 employees base.
Product from Apple I to Macintosh, iPod to iPhone constantly changes the dynamics of industry and kept earning revenues for Apple. Beauty of Apple’s products is that they appear to be sophisticated at the same time simple to use. Products have been appreciated because not only for their meticulous design but also has the potential to disrupted many sectors.
As per HIS a research company, currently iTunes is the top seller of online movies, with 66 percent of the market for electronic sales and Web video-on- demand. And at times curbing the piracy too!!!! The application ecosystem created by Apple Inc. on which Apple’s product provide excitingly unique experience to its user has open a new opportunity for developers to earn. As per Breg Insight Apple’s iOS was hailed as leader in direct monetization of mobile application ahead of Android and Microsoft window.
Like disruptive nature of his ground-breaking innovations, life of this innovator had been disruptive too.
Life was never been easy for Jobs as it may appear to many of us. Being an illegitimate child to an unwed lady, who was not prepared to raise him Jobs was raised by Paul family who adopted him. He was a college drop-out without any formal degree. Spent his days at friend’s house, often visited Hare Krishna Temple for a ‘good’ meal before started Apple computers. Only after 9 years he started the Apple, Jobs was forced out from his own company by the board as he had acrimonious stint with John Scully, a man brought inside the Apple by Jobs himself from PepsiCo.- and at last Board of Apple sided to Scully.
Again Jobs was appointed as ‘interim CEO’ of Apple in 1996, as company was on the verge of bankruptcy. Steve Jobs defied the prevailing notion that Apple would be a matter of days. Even during an interview Micheal Dell on 6 October, 1997 at the Gartner Symposium and ITxpo97 replied to a query, “What he would have done had he been in Jobs’ shoes.” Micheal Dell replied “I’d shut Apple down and give the money back to the shareholders.”
At that time Apple was just a $3.1 billion company while Dell was worth $28 billion. Just hold on and have a deep breath to just face the staggering figure. 13+ years later since 1997 Dell has become a $26 billion company in market cap while Apple’s Market cap grew up to $327+ billion and for some time become the most valuable company of the world. That was the charisma of Jobs.
As everything was moving well, unfortunately bad luck again knock at Steve’s door. He was diagnosed with a rare form of Pancreatic Cancer in 2003. As per his own words he encountered the death closely. Since then he took three medical leave and had a lever transplant in 2009. But till his last moment Jobs had lived life on his terms. With all his charismatic success; pain, rejection and bad-fate were part and parcel of his life.
With his passion for minimalist design and marketing genius, he has changed the course of Personal Computing during his two stints at apple.
Apple I, the first product from Apple Computers, was not big hit as it was meant for engineers particularly. Apple II was mass product but it was Macintosh who created buzz in the market. Macintosh was not only cheaper as compare to earlier products but equipped with Graphical User Interface and had the good advertisement backup. Earlier to Macintosh it was Lisa (controversial one) computer with Graphical User Interface, icons, windows and a mouse. Lisa laid the foundation for prevailing computer interface. With iMac (1998), to iPad (2010), the story keep rolling. And ‘i’, Jobs and Apple become the synonymous to each other.
The success of Apple lies not only in foreseeing the future and in determining what people ‘wants’ to buy but equally in the way it has been presenting to user. The design, functionality, elegance or what to say, the overall experience which took shape from conceptualization to end product is the hallmark of its enviable success.
Steve was exceptionally brilliant in determining what the customers want. Flawless in giving shape to his idea. He, arbitrarily, got exposure to calligraphy lessons which later proved immensely helpful in designing the typeface for Mac to make a dull & boring computer machine to appealing one. In Jobs own word he called this incidence as “Connect The Dot”, and emphasized “you can’t connect the dots looking forwards; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future”.
Steve ever lived in the realm of possibilities. He was not an engineering guy but often compared to Edison and Gram Bell. Steve also registered 338 U.S. patents (as per International Business Times) for technology and electronic accessories. Steve never had been to any B-school but regarded as a marketing genius. Not a very media-friendly but still appeared on some 100 magazines cover. Become an icon but never let him trapped in celebrity-frenzy. Kept devoting his time to enhance the user experience and consider such involvement with media could distract him. Steve Jobs made Apple one of the most valuable companies but never ran for the money as he took $1 salary. Perfectly good at professional life, when it comes to number as he made $4.8 billion for his family, but faced tough challenges in his personal life. Touted as a legendary business executive he never preferred Executive Dress Code but enjoyed a hippy-style in Apple too.
Steve was an invincible persona for his competitors but accepted the reality of death humbly.
Such easiness in accepting a harsh reality reflected in his own speech delivered at Stanford in 2006, after being diagnosed as a pancreatic cancer patient, “No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has escaped it” , on taking risk he seems to be become more philosophical, “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” His spiritual inkling got manifested when he said, “You have to trust something-your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach never let me down, and has made all the difference in my life”.
Steve such realistically down-to-earth approach towards life and to touch the life of millions in a meaningful way was might be the impact of his three months long stay in India. Before started Apple in 1976, disillusioned &distressed Steve with friend David Kotteke traversed Himalayas in search of enlightenment. He found refuge with Baba Neem Karole at RaniKhet now in Uttaranchal. Later in 1978, Steve Jobs donated $10,000 as help to launch Seva Foundation.
No matter what people today are saying & writing in the eulogy of Steve Jobs, also there were people who called him a ruthless, demanding, opinionated, control-freak, and tyrannical. Author Andrew Keen in his best-seller titled, The Cult of the Amateur, “There’s not an ounce of democracy at Apple”, and this was the only reason why Apple stand today with remarkable achievements.
And yes critics were right and will be as Jobs always believed on his intuition, relied on his conviction. He never turned to any Market research firm to tell him whether there is demand for any ‘i’ product? A intuition-driven leader never indulge in consensus building, group-think or focus group activity. He conceived the Personal Computing in the form of Lisa and Mac, twenty years later conceived the Post-Personal Computing era in the form of i-Pad. Steve was ahead of his time not only in envisioning but enjoying the outcome in his life-time.
56 years of age, 35 years of career life, 11 years outside the Apple but still $350 billion company!!!!!!
Steve Jobs definitely had said adieu to all of us but his impact and legacy to simply the complex things will always be there. His life will inspire generation to come. May God bless peace to his pious soul. Hats off to Steve Jobs!
And just have the look at the m-cap numbers of its contemporary companies: Microsoft ($219 billion), Oracle ($158 billion) and Dell Computers (only $27 billion). All figures are accessed from yahoo finance on 08 October 2011. Apple Inc. has reserves of $76 billion enough to buy Reliance Industries and still be left with around $20 billion.
The achievement itself becomes remarkable when a pure technology based company out-paced the likes of ExxonMobil (energy giant) to become the number 1 company on the planet. Yes the company is Apple Inc. and the man who made dent in the sky by such astonishing figure was Steve Jobs.
As it is not only about numbers, Steve has built up a legacy and touch the lives of millions all across the globe. His creative genius got manifested in product made by Apple.Started from Apple I to Macintosh there have been break-through which keeps rolling from Apple’s stable and latest sensation is iPad & iPhone4. The i phenomenon started way back in 1998 has changed the landscape of communication, mobile computing and digital entertainment completely.
Steve Jobs was neither a business graduate nor an engineer. He was not even the legitimate child of his parents. Born to an unwed mother and adopted by Paul family faced very odd situation throughout his life. But despite all adversity from childhood to youth, Steve has not only made the world’s number one company but also built up a legacy that everyone wishes to emulate. Steve Paul Jobs is no more now. He left this world on October 6. And as the man himself was outlier so was cry for him from all corner of the world.
Never before the whole world ubiquitously–from business to political arena- expressed their grief on the demise of an entrepreneur. But this man was different because he always was ahead of his time. He gave the world new mantra to Think Different. At a time when Steve has left this world this would be pertinent to have a look on the life of such a visionary personality.
Steve has earned a cult like status not only for himself but for Apple Inc. as well. He co-founded the Apple Computers in 1976 with his engineer friend Steve Woznaik. Within decade engineer Woznaik & entrepreneur Jobs made Apple Computers a $2 billion company (1985)with 4,000 employees base.
Product from Apple I to Macintosh, iPod to iPhone constantly changes the dynamics of industry and kept earning revenues for Apple. Beauty of Apple’s products is that they appear to be sophisticated at the same time simple to use. Products have been appreciated because not only for their meticulous design but also has the potential to disrupted many sectors.
As per HIS a research company, currently iTunes is the top seller of online movies, with 66 percent of the market for electronic sales and Web video-on- demand. And at times curbing the piracy too!!!! The application ecosystem created by Apple Inc. on which Apple’s product provide excitingly unique experience to its user has open a new opportunity for developers to earn. As per Breg Insight Apple’s iOS was hailed as leader in direct monetization of mobile application ahead of Android and Microsoft window.
Like disruptive nature of his ground-breaking innovations, life of this innovator had been disruptive too.
Life was never been easy for Jobs as it may appear to many of us. Being an illegitimate child to an unwed lady, who was not prepared to raise him Jobs was raised by Paul family who adopted him. He was a college drop-out without any formal degree. Spent his days at friend’s house, often visited Hare Krishna Temple for a ‘good’ meal before started Apple computers. Only after 9 years he started the Apple, Jobs was forced out from his own company by the board as he had acrimonious stint with John Scully, a man brought inside the Apple by Jobs himself from PepsiCo.- and at last Board of Apple sided to Scully.
Again Jobs was appointed as ‘interim CEO’ of Apple in 1996, as company was on the verge of bankruptcy. Steve Jobs defied the prevailing notion that Apple would be a matter of days. Even during an interview Micheal Dell on 6 October, 1997 at the Gartner Symposium and ITxpo97 replied to a query, “What he would have done had he been in Jobs’ shoes.” Micheal Dell replied “I’d shut Apple down and give the money back to the shareholders.”
At that time Apple was just a $3.1 billion company while Dell was worth $28 billion. Just hold on and have a deep breath to just face the staggering figure. 13+ years later since 1997 Dell has become a $26 billion company in market cap while Apple’s Market cap grew up to $327+ billion and for some time become the most valuable company of the world. That was the charisma of Jobs.
As everything was moving well, unfortunately bad luck again knock at Steve’s door. He was diagnosed with a rare form of Pancreatic Cancer in 2003. As per his own words he encountered the death closely. Since then he took three medical leave and had a lever transplant in 2009. But till his last moment Jobs had lived life on his terms. With all his charismatic success; pain, rejection and bad-fate were part and parcel of his life.
With his passion for minimalist design and marketing genius, he has changed the course of Personal Computing during his two stints at apple.
Apple I, the first product from Apple Computers, was not big hit as it was meant for engineers particularly. Apple II was mass product but it was Macintosh who created buzz in the market. Macintosh was not only cheaper as compare to earlier products but equipped with Graphical User Interface and had the good advertisement backup. Earlier to Macintosh it was Lisa (controversial one) computer with Graphical User Interface, icons, windows and a mouse. Lisa laid the foundation for prevailing computer interface. With iMac (1998), to iPad (2010), the story keep rolling. And ‘i’, Jobs and Apple become the synonymous to each other.
The success of Apple lies not only in foreseeing the future and in determining what people ‘wants’ to buy but equally in the way it has been presenting to user. The design, functionality, elegance or what to say, the overall experience which took shape from conceptualization to end product is the hallmark of its enviable success.
Steve was exceptionally brilliant in determining what the customers want. Flawless in giving shape to his idea. He, arbitrarily, got exposure to calligraphy lessons which later proved immensely helpful in designing the typeface for Mac to make a dull & boring computer machine to appealing one. In Jobs own word he called this incidence as “Connect The Dot”, and emphasized “you can’t connect the dots looking forwards; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future”.
Steve ever lived in the realm of possibilities. He was not an engineering guy but often compared to Edison and Gram Bell. Steve also registered 338 U.S. patents (as per International Business Times) for technology and electronic accessories. Steve never had been to any B-school but regarded as a marketing genius. Not a very media-friendly but still appeared on some 100 magazines cover. Become an icon but never let him trapped in celebrity-frenzy. Kept devoting his time to enhance the user experience and consider such involvement with media could distract him. Steve Jobs made Apple one of the most valuable companies but never ran for the money as he took $1 salary. Perfectly good at professional life, when it comes to number as he made $4.8 billion for his family, but faced tough challenges in his personal life. Touted as a legendary business executive he never preferred Executive Dress Code but enjoyed a hippy-style in Apple too.
Steve was an invincible persona for his competitors but accepted the reality of death humbly.
Such easiness in accepting a harsh reality reflected in his own speech delivered at Stanford in 2006, after being diagnosed as a pancreatic cancer patient, “No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has escaped it” , on taking risk he seems to be become more philosophical, “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” His spiritual inkling got manifested when he said, “You have to trust something-your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach never let me down, and has made all the difference in my life”.
Steve such realistically down-to-earth approach towards life and to touch the life of millions in a meaningful way was might be the impact of his three months long stay in India. Before started Apple in 1976, disillusioned &distressed Steve with friend David Kotteke traversed Himalayas in search of enlightenment. He found refuge with Baba Neem Karole at RaniKhet now in Uttaranchal. Later in 1978, Steve Jobs donated $10,000 as help to launch Seva Foundation.
No matter what people today are saying & writing in the eulogy of Steve Jobs, also there were people who called him a ruthless, demanding, opinionated, control-freak, and tyrannical. Author Andrew Keen in his best-seller titled, The Cult of the Amateur, “There’s not an ounce of democracy at Apple”, and this was the only reason why Apple stand today with remarkable achievements.
And yes critics were right and will be as Jobs always believed on his intuition, relied on his conviction. He never turned to any Market research firm to tell him whether there is demand for any ‘i’ product? A intuition-driven leader never indulge in consensus building, group-think or focus group activity. He conceived the Personal Computing in the form of Lisa and Mac, twenty years later conceived the Post-Personal Computing era in the form of i-Pad. Steve was ahead of his time not only in envisioning but enjoying the outcome in his life-time.
56 years of age, 35 years of career life, 11 years outside the Apple but still $350 billion company!!!!!!
Steve Jobs definitely had said adieu to all of us but his impact and legacy to simply the complex things will always be there. His life will inspire generation to come. May God bless peace to his pious soul. Hats off to Steve Jobs!
