Comparing Jensen to Steve Jobs Is Stupid

Comparing Jensen to Steve Jobs is Stupid Time for a history lesson. Many are criticizing Nvidia for kicking out Jensen, saying it is akin to Apple "firing" Steve Jobs in 1985. While the comparison is wrong—Jobs was pushed out for much less nefarious reasons—it also implies that Apple would have succeeded earlier instead of waiting for Jobs' return in 1997. This misses the entire redemption arc Jobs goes through at NeXT Computer. He leaves Apple and takes his pride and poor management skills with him. In time, all of his NeXT co-founders leave, repelled by Steve's toxicity. He burns an absurd amount of money on hard-headed decisions, while building a beautiful workstation that ultimately few buy. When NeXT goes nearly bankrupt and lays off a mass portion of the company, Jobs is publicly humiliated—rightly so, because there was no one else to blame. NeXT was intentionally a one-man show. It's in NeXT's software pivot that Jobs begins to redeem himself. He becomes a stronger collaborator, working more harmoniously with his teams as they humbly keep the company alive. It eventually leads them to the Apple acquisition, and Jobs returns as a completely different person than when he was oustered. I highly recommend Geoffrey Cain's book, Steve Jobs in Exile, which is a vivid account of this forgotten episode. NeXT is everything for Steve Jobs—there would most likely be no Apple today without his fall from grace.