The story behind Apple`s rise to fame. And what if Steve Jobs never rejoined apple?

Goransh
Goransh
Sep 4, 2018 · 3 min read

Apple has been one of the most renowned tech companies for over two decades. With its innovative and unique products, it continues to attract a huge customer base. Its product quality is great and so is its brand image. All of the company`s accomplishments are popularly credited to its founder, Steve Jobs.

It was in 1983 when Jobs helped recruit the then CEO of PepsiCo. John Sculley. Soon after, disagreements started to creep in between Jobs and the rest of the board members at Apple. Jobs was a perfectionist, and the rest of the team couldn`t keep up with his radical ideologies. He was eventually nudged to resign as the CEO of the company. And he did in 1985.

Apple was never the same after Jobs quit. The growth of the company was affected. Overtime, its product quality degraded and its innovation factor was lost. Without it, the company just couldn`t keep up with its already established and huge competitors like Microsoft and Dell. Profits started dwindling and revenue streams were affected. After a decade, the company was in the worst condition since its inception.

Meanwhile, after resigning from Apple, Jobs opened a software company called NeXT. He also invested in a startup by George Lucas- Pixar, a company which made him a billionaire. Then, in 1996 Apple made a bold decision to bring back Steve Jobs to the company and bought NeXT. He joined Apple as the interim CEO as the planned to restructure the company from the ground level. Jobs was driven and the employees idolized him. And began next chapter of apple.

But what would have happened if Jobs didn’t join back? What if apple didn’t buy next?

For starters, we already know the condition Apple was in after Jobs left it. Jobs had a unique skillset, an eye for detail and the ability to bring his vision to life. He was the driving force behind so many of the Apple products. It was after he came back that apple launched the iphone, the ipad , the online music store itunes etc. His vision was to accessorise his customers with good quality products with a great user interface. For example: to provide a good tool for music enthusiasts he came up with the ipod. On this basis, one can say that Jobs was what saved apple in its time of crisis.

On the other hand, Jobs comeback and Apple`s rise in revenue DO NOT go hand in hand. Jobs officially became the CEO for the second time in July 1997. The revenue did not increase for the next 5 years. 2002 was a low point in Apple`s history in terms of revenue. Various factors can be taken into account as to why there was no change for these many years even after Job came back. One could be that revenue wasn’t the top priority as the company was going under a serious restructuring. Another is the depression of 2000–2001. Whatever maybe the reason, almost everyone would have had given up on Apple at that point.

Here`s where Jobs leadership truly comes to light. He never gave up on believing in his company. He continued making bold decisions and encouraging innovation. In 2005, apple launched new models of the ipod and the iMac, it experienced a growth burst. Then by 2011, it had launched the ipad and the Apple sales skyrocketed. The company has never looked back.

If Steve jobs hadn`t re-joined the company, maybe this product line would never have existed. Maybe Apple would have shut down. Maybe sold off to a competitor. Or maybe another leader would have emerged to keep the company afloat. Maybe he would have done a better job than steve jobs. Maybe he would have been just average. It is a hard fact that Jobs is an entrepreneurial mastermind.

So what if he hadn`t re-joined Apple, luckily for all iphone, ipad, ipod users, we`ll never find out!

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