"There's an old Wayne Gretzky quote that I love. 'I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.' And we've always tried to do that at Apple. Since the very, very beginning. And we always will." — Steve Jobs

Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if more people were driven to work more than a basic 9 to 5 shift? What would it be like to be DRIVEN to succeed... to actually ACT on your driven impulses? Let's take a closer look at the most successful entrepreneur of our time, Mr. Steven Paul Jobs.

Computer designer and corporate executive, Steve Jobs was co-founder of Apple, Inc. With his vision of affordable personal computers, he launched one of the largest industries of the past 3 decades, while still in his early twenties... and became one of the most inventive, energetic minds in American technology.

Steve grew up in Silicon Valley and, at an early age, showed an interest in electronics and gadgetry. He saw his first computer at the age of twelve, and he knew right away that he wanted to work with computers. After graduating from high school in 1972, Steve dropped out of college after only one semester. Later, he joined a group known as the Homebrew Computer Club where he met a technical whiz named Steve Wozniak, who was trying to build a small computer.

Steve Jobs became fascinated with the marketing potential of such a computer, so he and Wozniak formed their own company. They called it Apple Computer Company, in memory of a happy summer spent picking apples. At the time, Jobs and Wozniak were surviving by turning in coke bottles to collect deposits, and would get free meals at a local Buddhist temple.

They raised $1,300 in startup money for their new company by selling a microbus and a calculator.

After a few failed attempts, the Apple II went to market in 1977... with incredible first year sales of $2.7 million. The company's sales grew to $200 million within three years... an amazing case of corporate growth in such a short period of time.

When Apple went public, it generated more capital than any IPO since Ford Motor Company in 1956... and instantly created 300 millionaires — more than any company in history!

At one point, Steve Jobs was forced out of Apple due to internal power struggles and other issues. Not to be one who just quits and does nothing, Steve started a new company called NeXT computers. During this time, Steve also acquired Pixar Animation Studios from his good friend George Lucas (who was running real short of dough about that time), and after overseeing several successful productions like Toy Story and Monsters Inc., Steve sold Pixar to Disney. (At his death in 2011, Steve was Disney's leading share holder.)

A few years later, Apple bought NeXT for $400 million in stock, and Steve resumed his leadership at Apple. From that time forward, Apple has gone through a process called creative destruction... and re-invented themselves as a consumer electronics company, rather than just a computer company.

Today, billions of dollars are generated from the sales of the iPods, iPhones and iPads, all because of a driven visionary named Steve Jobs.

Even though Steve only earned $1.00 a year, he held over 5 million Apple shares, and 138 million shares in Disney at the time of his death. Forbes has estimated his net wealth at $5.1 billion in 2009, making him the 43rd wealthiest American.

In a 1996 Time magazine article, Steve said, "The thing that drives me and my colleagues is that you see something very compelling to you, and you don't quite know how to get it, but you know, sometimes intuitively, it's within your grasp. And it's worth putting in years of your life to make it come into existence."

Steve Jobs was truly a driven entrepreneur whose work translated his compelling ideas into exciting, innovative products for businesses and consumers. He was a key in launching the age of the personal computer.

Solid Gold Performance...

It starts, as Steve was quoted above, with a compelling VISION... even if you have no idea how to achieve it. With absolute conviction in the beauty of your dreams, you can then make your vision real for the rest of the world to see and enjoy.

How Did Apple Become a Gold Mine? By Superior:

Innovation Management...     Marketing Management...     Talent Management...

Click on Function... Insert a Do It in your Strategic Plan... then Just DO IT!

Your Thoughts and Observations...

"A lot of companies have chosen to downsize, and maybe that was the right thing for them. We chose a different path. Our belief was that if we kept putting great products in front of customers, they would continue to open their wallets." ~ Steve Jobs