There are moments in business history that define the success or failure of a company. For Steve Jobs, those moments included making important decisions about his strategy and knowing how to gauge the public perception of his company very well. At a key moment in his career after Apple, Jobs had enough reflexes to, with a simple movement, ensure his future success.
After being fired from Apple, Jobs founded NeXT, a computer company that sought to revolutionize the technology market. However, To grow his company, Jobs needed investors. When famous entrepreneur Ross Perot visited NeXT to consider an investment, Jobs knew one thing instantly: the company’s success depended on what was in his parking lot.
Steve Jobs’ best-kept secret: the Porsche that shouldn’t be boasted about
A few years ago, software engineer Randy Adams told the anecdote in Forbes. The year was 1985 and Adams had just sold his software company, making some serious cash. Just for that reason, I was in no hurry to go back to work.even if he was part of the NeXT team.
Days later, however, Steve Jobs managed to persuade him and Adams joined Jobs’ newly founded company. And it was not the only thing they agreed on, because both he and Jobs himself bought a Porsche 911 at the same time. Quite a car for which the last thing they wanted was a slam from the doors of the other cars parked around it.
For this reason, both Steve Jobs and Adams parked in front of the NeXT offices, occupying three parking spaces. The cars, day in and day out also in the central squares in front of the building, They became a classic. A classic that, at one point, could have played very against the incipient NeXT.
Mission: hide the Porsche 911s without them finding out
Commemorative model.
One particular day, Steve Jobs ran to Adams’ cubicle to tell him “We have to hide the Porsches now”. “Why?” Adams asked. “Ross Perot comes in and is thinking about investing in the company and we don’t want him to think we have that much money.” With enough reflexes, the two executives moved their cars to the back of the building and, shortly after, in 1987, Perot invested 20 million dollars in NeXT, which today would be about 65 million euros.
A move that also gave him a seat on the board of directors and that was possible thanks to a Steve Jobs with a lot of perspective. A simple move that, by showing NeXT as a more modest and dedicated company, could well have influenced Perot’s decision to invest in the company.
Let’s not forget that Porsche is a brand associated with sports motorsports, but also with luxury. In the United States, this symbol that saw life in 1964—it was designed in 1963 by Ferdinand Alexander—has been marketed for decades and is one of the most iconic vehicles of all time.
This little episode starring Jobs and Adams is a reminder of the importance of public perception in business success. While product quality and financial performance are critical, how a company is perceived by investors, customers, and the general public is also important. A perception, in the case of Apple, that Steve Jobs took great care of until it was where he is now. And all, in part, thanks to hiding his car, at that time still with a license plate, at the right moment.
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