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Steve Jobs: Business Marketing with Passion
by Melissa Pringle
Business Programs Columnist
He's the man behind the iPod and Pixar Animation Studios, and Steven Paul Jobs owes much of his $4.4 billion net worth to the fact that he pursued what he loved.
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When you think of Steve Jobs, you think computers. But perhaps the name Steve Jobs should be synonymous with business marketing. A major figure in the popularization of the home computer, he's also the CEO of the company that developed the extremely popular iPod and iTunes music software. What's his secret? If you asked Jobs, he'd say it's the fact that he followed his passion.
How did Steve Jobs get started in the computer business?
Steve Jobs was working for a video gaming company, when he convinced a computer-building friend, Steven Wozniak, to start a computer business with him. On April 1, 1976, Apple Computer Co. was founded. Their second computer, the Apple II, was a huge success in an era when personal computers were not common.
How did Jobs' education help him in business and marketing?
Jobs began attending Reed College in Portland, but dropped out after one semester. However, he continued taking classes there for 18 months, and discovered a new passion: his love of calligraphy, which inspired the various fonts offered on Apple computers. Later, when Jobs was stripped of his duties as the CEO of Apple by its board of directors, he applied his do-what-you-love approach to his next company, NeXT computers, which helped pioneer the DSP chip, the built-in ethernet port, and the World Wide Web.
What other business and marketing projects has Jobs taken on?
After Apple Computer Co. bought out NeXT computers in 1996, Jobs eventually returned to his position as CEO. Described as a charismatic man, Jobs has integrated appealing advertising and smooth, attractive designs to all Apple products, including the iMac, the iBook, and the iPod. But his business tactics include a quality product as well as shrewd marketing: he turned Lucasfilm's computer graphics company into Pixar Animation Studios, and constantly pairs innovation with timely delivery. When it comes to the pairing of business and marketing, Jobs is the picture of success.
Steve Jobs Fast Facts:-
Quote: "I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love."
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Net Worth: $4.4 billion
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Hometown: California
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Education: One official semester at Reed College in Portland, Oregon; 18 months of classes at Reed College.
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About the Author
Melissa Pringle is a freelance writer currently pursuing a master's degree in Spanish.
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