When Jobs was losing his footing at Apple in the summer of…
““When Jobs was losing his footing at Apple in the summer of 1985, he went for a walk with Alan Kay, who had been at Xerox PARC and was then an Apple Fellow. Kay knew that Jobs was interested in the intersection of creativity and technology, so he suggested they go see a friend of his, Ed Catmull, who was running the computer division of George Lucas’s film studio. They rented a limo and rode up to Marin County to the edge of Lucas’s Skywalker Ranch, where Catmull and his little computer division were based. “I was blown away, and I came back and tried to convince Sculley to buy it for Apple,” Jobs recalled. “But the folks running Apple weren’t interested, and they were busy kicking me out anyway.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Jobs sought inspiration from peers in computer graphics, seeing value in merging tech and creativity, but Apple leadership dismissed it.
In simple terms: Jobs looked for new ideas but Apple ignored them.
Key Takeaway
Seek diverse perspectives, even if your organization resists.
Themes
innovation
creativity
leadership
technology
vision
Mood
determined
reflective
Type
historical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- product development
- creative brainstorming
- industry networking
Key Concepts
cross‑disciplinary collaboration
strategic risk
visionary thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you champion innovative ideas in a resistant culture?
- What allies can you find to support your vision?
A Different Perspective
Ideas can be rejected by existing power structures, limiting adoption.