Becoming Steve Jobs

Outline

Becoming Steve Jobs (2015) presents the personal and professional evolution of Steve Jobs from an impulsive young entrepreneur into a more thoughtful and effective business leader. Drawing on interviews with colleagues, friends, and industry figures, Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli challenge the simplistic image of Jobs as merely a difficult genius. The book examines his failures, his years away from Apple, his leadership of Pixar, and his eventual return to transform Apple into one of the world’s most influential companies.

• Steve Jobs grew from an impulsive young entrepreneur into a more thoughtful and effective business leader.
• The book argues that calling Jobs merely a difficult genius is too simple a picture of the man.
• His failures and his years away from Apple were part of how he matured as a leader.
• Leading Pixar was a key stage in his development before he returned to Apple.
• The authors draw on interviews with colleagues, friends, and industry figures to show how his leadership changed.

Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli are American journalists and authors with extensive experience covering business, technology, and leadership. Schlender reported on the technology industry for several decades and maintained a professional relationship with Steve Jobs for approximately twenty-five years. Tetzeli held senior editorial positions at major publications, including Fast Company and Fortune. Their combined reporting experience allowed them to present a detailed and balanced account of Jobs’s development as a leader.