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Becoming Steve Jobs summary

Becoming Steve Jobs by Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli book cover

Becoming Steve Jobs

Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli · 2015
Good value given
  1. Schlender covered Jobs as a journalist for about 25 years.
  2. The book focuses on how Jobs grew, more than on his flaws.
  3. NeXT taught him hard lessons about business and focus.
  4. Pixar taught him to trust talented people and wait for results.
  5. Apple executives like Tim Cook and Jony Ive add firsthand views.

How did Steve Jobs change between his first and second time at Apple?

Schlender and Tetzeli argue the 'wilderness years' at NeXT and Pixar changed him. He learned patience, how to build and trust a team, and how to let others lead. The Jobs who came back in 1997 was still demanding, but far better at running a company.

Worth reading?Good value given. A warmer, more personal portrait than Isaacson's, from a reporter who knew Jobs for 25 years. Best on how he grew as a leader.

Actionable

  • Write down one lesson from your own 'wilderness' period.
  • Let a teammate lead one project fully.
  • Pick one long project and give it more patience.
  • Ask a colleague how you've changed as a leader.

Lessons

  • People can grow a lot in their careers.
  • Failure can be the best teacher.
  • Trusting a team multiplies your impact.
  • Patience is a leadership skill.

Quick answer

Our summary of Becoming Steve Jobs by Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli (2015), in our own words.

What 125x is: 125x is a web app at 125x.app. You connect your YouTube subscriptions, and it gives you a feed of the latest videos from the channels you follow, each with a summary: a verdict, the 5 key takeaways, and the spoiler, plus Actionable and Lessons tabs with more tips. You read that and decide what's actually worth opening.

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Who is Steve Jobs?

Steve Jobs co-founded Apple, built NeXT, led Pixar and returned to lead Apple from 1997 to 2011.

Brent Schlender wrote for Fortune and The Wall Street Journal. Rick Tetzeli is a longtime editor.

The story in 5 parts

A closer look

Schlender spent many hours with Jobs over the years, and the book uses those conversations to show a more reflective side. Jobs talks about mistakes he made at Apple the first time, and how he came to see building a company as its own kind of product.

The Pixar chapters are a highlight. Jobs bought the company, poured money into it for years and nearly gave up, until Toy Story succeeded. The authors argue that working with Ed Catmull and John Lasseter taught him to give creative people room.

Tim Cook, Jony Ive and others share how Jobs worked in his last decade, and how he planned for Apple to continue without him.

Business lessons from the book

Who should read it

Readers who want a more personal look at Jobs, or who read Isaacson's book and want another view.

About this summary

We wrote this summary in our own words from the book and its public reviews. It follows the same layout as a 125x video summary: a verdict, 5 takeaways, the answer to the big question, and Actionable and Lessons tabs. More in entrepreneur biographies.

FAQ: questions people ask

How is Becoming Steve Jobs different from Isaacson's book?

It focuses more on how Jobs grew as a leader, from a reporter who knew him for decades.

What did Pixar teach Steve Jobs?

The authors say it taught him patience and to trust talented people.

Is Becoming Steve Jobs worth reading?

Good value given. It's warm and insightful.

Open 125x

125x is a web app at 125x.app that turns your YouTube subscriptions into a feed with a summary on every video, plus Actionable and Lessons tabs with more tips, so you can see what's worth opening before you spend the time.

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