Tweet

The Comeback Kid: Steve Jobs is Born

Article Overview: “Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life,” says Steve Jobs. From the day he was born on February 24, 1955, Steven Paul Jobs has been blazing his own path. As the CEO of Apple Computer and CEO and Chairman of Pixar, Jobs is today recognized as one of the top leaders and visionaries of both the computer and entertainment industries and is worth an estimated $4.4 billion.

The Comeback Kid: Steve Jobs is Born

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life,” says Steve Jobs. From the day he was born on February 24, 1955, Steven Paul Jobs has been blazing his own path. As the CEO of Apple Computer and CEO and Chairman of Pixar, Jobs is today recognized as one of the top leaders and visionaries of both the computer and entertainment industries and is worth an estimated $4.4 billion.

Born in San Francisco, California to an American mother and a Syrian father, Jobs was given up for adoption just one week after his birth. He was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs and the new family settled in Santa Clara County, California. Paul was a machinist for Spectra-Physics who helped spark Jobs’ early interest in machines. Jobs has always considered Paul and Clara his only parents.

While attending Cupertino Middle School and Homestead High School, both in Cupertino, California, Jobs spent his free time attending lectures at the Hewlett-Packard Company in Palo Alto. He became a familiar face there and was soon hired as a summer student. It was here at the age of 13 where Jobs would meet his future Apple co-founder, Stephen Wozniak, who was also working as a summer employee. After striking up a friendship, Jobs began to help Wozniak market and sell his latest invention – an illegal device that could be attached to telephones to allow users to make free long-distance calls. He also spent his free time repairing and selling stereos.

After graduating from high school in 1972, Jobs registered at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, but found he had little interest in pursuing a degree. He dropped out after just one semester, but continued to attend classes in philosophy, physics, and literature for another year. He returned to California two years later and began attending Wozniak’s computer hobbyist club, the Homebrew Computer Club. He also began working as a technician for Atari, a company that manufactured popular video games.

Working at Atari allowed Jobs the chance to save enough money for a spiritual retreat to India, where he went along with Daniel Kottke, a friend from Reed College and later, the first Apple employee. Upon his return, Jobs went back to work at Atari, but this time was in charge of creating a circuit board for the game Breakout. Atari had offered a $100 bonus for each chip that could be reduced in the machine. With little knowledge of circuit boards, Jobs made a deal with Wozniak to work together and split whatever bonus they got. Wozniak reduced the chips by 50, surprising both Atari and Jobs himself. The design proved to be so tight in fact that the circuit board was impossible to reproduce on the assembly line.

This experience at Atari proved to be the beginning of a long business relationship between Jobs and Wozniak that would soon spark one of the most successful and revolutionary companies of the 20th century.

Related Articles
  Being comfortable and uncomfortable in our own skin - a thank you to Steve Jobs
  Innovation Creates Leaders - Sales and Marketing Tips
  Today's "rant" - Jobs
  An Apple For The Teacher - Sales and Marketing Training
  The Ten Commandments of Fake Steve Jobs

Article Tags: american mother, ceo of apple, comeback kid, computer hobbyist, cupertino california, cupertino middle school, entertainment industries, free long distance, hewlett packard company, homebrew computer club, homestead high school, latest invention, popular video games, reed college, san francisco california, santa clara county, santa clara county california, spectra physics, stephen wozniak, where jobs



Related Forum Posts
Re: What If Steve Jobs Hadn't Returned To Apple In 1997? - Thanks for sharing with us Yinko. Steve Jobs is definitely a visionary. Not only his products are innovative in a technological sense, but he's managed to turn a tech-company's products into a lifestyle.... a lifestyle!! [quote:zfqoq43n]Fast Forward to today. Apple has the sexiest products in the business: iMacs, Macbooks, iPhones, iPods and more.[/quote:zfqoq43n] I think not only tech would be different (music players and phones), but ways we can think of marketing and branding. What Steve Jobs did was of course no easy task for the smaller businesses, but he did start somewhere. What I did not know was that Apple is worth about as much as Google. How do you think Apple accomplish what they did? In terms of strategy wise? If you could advice Steve on one thing, what would it be?
Re: Citizen Journalism: There's no such thing - This clearly shows that if Steve Jobs sneezes the price of the stock will drop. Since Apple is a great company why do they have to link the rise and fall of the stock to one man? So eventually when Steve passes on what is going to happen to Apples stock?
Re: Are you getting an iPad 2? - @GT - we can talk more about it once I get one and I'm happy to answer any questions to see if it might fit your lifestyle. @Yinka - Sorry, no payment from Steve Jobs... I wish!
Re: What are the top videos for entrepreneurs on YouTube? - I've seen the Steve Jobs video a few times and it is a great one. Off to watch David's suggestion right now. Thanks guys! I'll try to find one of my own to add to the list.
Re: Citizen Journalism: There's no such thing - [quote="ideasuniversity":2zpdpyk9]This clearly shows that if Steve Jobs sneezes the price of the stock will drop. Since Apple is a great company why do they have to link the rise and fall of the stock to one man? So eventually when Steve passes on what is going to happen to Apples stock?[/quote:2zpdpyk9] That's a very good point. He needs to appoint a successor now or in some way affirm that the company will exist even if he goes under!


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Common Sense Stress Management

Are You Listening?

Think Time

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.