Reading about Apple and Steve Jobs

In recent weeks, I have read a couple of books about the god of Mac, Steve Jobs, and by extension, Apple. First off was the unauthorized biography of Stevie J, iCon Steve Jobs by Jeffrey Young and William Simon. As I discovered from the second book I read (and not at all surprisingly), Steve did not like what was written about him in iCon.

Essentially, the book tells you about Steve's development as a person into the superstar/Machiavellian control-freak who seduces the Mac faithful -- and now, entertainment industry highrollers -- with his vision and charisma. I have to say that I was shocked to read the things about Steve that appeared in iCon: a Zen devotee; a strict vegetarian; a man who refuses to accept 'no' from anybody; a man who will fire a colleague for taking control of his whiteboard during a meeting; and so on.

But that's only one side of Stevie J protrayed in iCon. This is a man who has managed to revolutionize three industries: personal computing, music, and movie animation. He has done so while enduring some of the most difficult experiences a person could go through, including getting fired from his own company in 1985, only to return more than a decade later to begin his renaissance. To say that Steve Jobs' story is a fascinating one is to give a classic example of understatement.

As I read on, I kept trying to figure out what the lesson was for me as a reader. You see, I have this idea about possibly going into business in the interactive multimedia field some day. Apple seems like a great company to work for, given their efforts towards developing the digital lifestyle. But could I ever stand working for a man like Steve Jobs? Would I crumble the first time he criticized my work or ripped into me in front of other Apple employees? As well, would I need to be as ruthless as Jobs apparently is to be successful as a business person? Is that even in my character? Lots to think about.

The second book, which I have just completed, is a business management book called The Apple Way, by Jeffrey Cruikshank. This book focuses on management lessons that can be learned from the experience of "the world's most innovative company." Essentially, Apple has managed to succeed, then fail, then succeed again through a combination of vision, good luck, bad luck, and mostly the will of Steve Jobs.

Is there a lesson to be learned here? Obviously, since that is the purpose of the book. But I think it would be nearly impossible to replicate the experience of Apple in any other company because the Apple experience is so unique thanks to Steve Jobs. I think the best thing I got from this book was the clear understanding that Apple has not always made wise decisions. In fact, a majority (it seems) of its management decisions have been detrimental. Only recently, with the overwhelming success of the iPod and the birth of the iMac and OS X, has Apple become the seemingly unstoppable bussiness force that we see today. And knowing all that, there is hope for other companies, even if they make mistakes. But coming back from mistakes in business isn't always a given. Sometimes, it takes a person of great will (such as Steve Jobs) to overcome such mistakes.

These books really meant a lot to me as I consider my possible foray into the multimedia business. These days, you see Apple in the news a lot introducing new products and making significant business deals (such as the one with Disney for PIXAR Animation). Now that I know a lot more about the history of the company and its leader, these news stories have the context to help me appreciate them more.