In 1985, Steve Jobs was fired from Apple, the company he had co-founded. However, and according to his own words, it was the best thing that could happen to him, since he demonstrated his determination and resilience by moving forward.
The story of Steve Jobs and his link to Apple is one of the most fascinating profiles in the world of technology, but also the most tragic. In 1985, the company’s co-founder was fired by the board of directors, in a move that would stump many in business.
The harsh decision to fire Steve Jobs from Apple stemmed from a series of disagreements that arose between him, the CEO and members of the board.. At that time, the company was growing, so it was looking to expand in the market.
However, the differences centered on strategic issues, business philosophies and differences in approach. On the other hand, the visionary and perfectionist personality of Steve Jobs clashed with the conservative mentality of the council
On the one hand, was focused on innovation, excellence and developing revolutionary personal computerswhile managers prioritized financial results, as well as corporate stability.
It was these discrepancies that led to tensions within the management group and ultimately led to the firing of Steve Jobs from his own company that he co-founded with Steve Wozniak.
Steve Jobs was not ready to assume the role of CEO
Both Jobs and Wozniak started Apple’s history in a garage and began to develop their own business strategy, each complementing their skills in unique ways.
His main focus was on business and creative aspects, while Wozniak excelled in design and engineering. This breakdown allowed the foundations of the company to be laid, but despite the talent of each one, they lacked solid commercial experience to face the technological world of the time.
These circumstances led the founders to establish a board of directors and invite business experts to join the group. The strategy worked immediately, but he had much bigger aspirations, he wanted to be the CEO.
However, the board agreed that this could not happen, as he had a bad way of treating people. His attitude was terrible and self-critical, he was known for putting excessive pressure on his team, bordering on limits, so his behavior was generating uncertainty among the workers.
These concerns led the board of directors to decide that he was not prepared to assume such an important role as CEO.
Sculley, the culprit of the dismissal of Steve Jobs in Apple?
In a strategic move in 1983, Steve Jobs made the decision to recruit John Sculley, who was CEO of PepsiCo at the time, to join the company. The hiring of the new CEO was with the objective of boosting the company and taking it to new levels of success. However, this decision turned out to be a factor that would hasten his dismissal from Apple.
The first confrontation between Steve and Sculley originated after the release of the Lisa and Macintosh computers., which failed to meet sales expectations. This caused him to be removed from the project, which infuriated him and he took the case to the board of directors.
Of course, the board was already at odds with the Apple co-founder, as they were missing sales targets for offering nice-looking, but rather expensive computers. After the argument he was fired from the company, which was news that caused a great impact in the media, since the founder had been fired from his own company.
The departure of Apple: a transformative turn in the life of Steve Jobs
In 1985, the event that shook the life of Steve Jobs occurred when he was fired from the company that he had co-founded. This fact made him feel ashamed and considered a public failure.
However, instead of being consumed by disappointment He made a decision that would change his life forever. He founded two new companies that later one of them would be a success to this day: NeXT and Pixar.
Pixar became the largest and most important animation studio in the world. Movies like Toy Story captivated audiences of all ages and redefined the animation genre. The success of this company was so overwhelming that it was later acquired by Disney.
Meanwhile, Apple was facing its own challenges and needed a new direction, which is why the company decided to acquire NeXT, the company founded by Steve Jobs. Thus began the triumphant return of its co-founder as CEO.
The Steve Jobs story is a clear testament to redemption and human resilience. Despite being fired and considered a failure, he did not give up. He founded two successful companies and returned to Apple with a renewed vision and the experience necessary to be a leader in technology.
If he hadn’t left Apple, the company might have taken a different course, and companies like Pixar wouldn’t exist.But most importantly, Steve wouldn’t have changed his mind. And this thought was shared in the 2005 commencement address at Stanford University.
“I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have happened to me. The heaviness of succeeding was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure of everything. He freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”.
“Over the next five years, I started a company called NeXT, another company called Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the world’s first computer-animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world.”.
“I’m pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn’t been fired from Apple. It was a horrible-tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you over the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I am convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did.
Steve Jobs’ unforgettable Stanford University commencement speech continues to resonate, delivering valuable lessons on the importance of pursuing your passion, overcoming obstacles, trusting your intuition, and living a fulfilling life.
His words remain an inexhaustible source of inspiration for all those seeking to reach their full potential.