The Creative Entrepreneur - Steve Jobs - July 2024

The Creative Entrepreneur - Steve Jobs - July 2024

Jul, 1 2024


It’s rare that someone can come along and completely transform the concept of technology and in particular computers. This month’s ‘Creative Entrepreneur’ identifies the pioneer of the personal computer revolution the late great Mr. Steve Jobs.

Please watch this 8 minute 28 second film to help us understand this gifted individual –

Jobs was clearly an intelligent man who even had his own unique perception of death. But let’s rewind to his youth as we see signs that led him to becoming such an amazing entrepreneur.

At just 10 years old, handed down by his father he had an inherit interest in electronics and befriended many of the engineers who lived in the neighbourhood. Steve spent a considerable amount of time on his own working on his personal projects which led to his classmates viewing him as a ‘loner’.

Defiant on creating his own pathway schooling was a problem for Steve. He couldn’t conform to the regimented regime, authority figures proved a threat, he frequently misbehaved and was suspended a number of occasions.

At 13 in 1968, he was given his first summer job by Bill Hewlett( of Hewlett – Packard) after Steve cold-called him to ask for an electronics project. This furthered his interest in computers and demonstrated that he was competent enough away from the school environment to create his own safe universe, a universe which would later become one of the most ground-breaking pioneers in modern history.

 As he became a young adult he developed another interest in literature, became a rebellious hippie and immersed himself in writers such as Shakespeare, Dylan Thomas and Plato. He was introduced to Steve Wozniak and would become Apple’s first employee. He became more social and allowed Wozniak and his then first girlfriend, the artistic Chrisann Brennan into his life.

By September 1972, Jobs enrolled at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Jobs became close friends with Robert Friedland, who was Reed’s student body president at that time. His girlfriend was still present during this period.

However, after just one semester Jobs’ battle with education returned as he dropped out. He explained to his parents that he didn’t want to spend his parent’s money on an education that seemed meaningless to him. Although he continued to attend by auditing his classes, including a calligraphy course that was taught by Robert Palladino.

In 2005, Jobs made a commencement speech at Stanford University, he simply said,

 "If I had never dropped in on that single calligraphy course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts".

So remember, the next time you see a loner at school or walking the streets, just be careful not to judge that person because they may have the intellect and innovative mind to be the future Steve Jobs.

^Alex Ashworth CCG UK Blogger