Steve to Steve

The last book that I read was "iwoz" by Steve Wozniak, cofounder of Apple. It is not necessarily the best book out there to read in literary excellence but definitely worth the read to understand how the Apple cuddly monster was created.

An interesting trivia, the name "Apple" was formed as Jobs had been to a commune in Oregon, he called 'Apple Orchard"

I think I tend to identify myself with Steve Wozniak - The techie guy who has been the nice boy all his life filled with ideals for the world. That has been my story as well, growing up in a god fearing middle class family, where education takes you out of the financial morass, walked into IIT and continued in technology. That path is no longer relevant in India with the BPO boom, you could have done your BA, BCom and finished at the bottom of your class, if not the University and yet you have a ticket to financial freedom if you have it in you to take the loads of shit.

Now, I pause and want to be a Steve Jobs - build companies, set the direction for the world to follow and plain, kick ass.

Jobs used an argument with Wozniak to get him along to set up Apple. It is in the last few paragraphs of the 11th Chapter just before the 12th chapter - "Our own Company'. Jobs told Woz, "Well, even if we lose our money, we'll have a company. For once in our lives, we'll have a company". That was convincing enough for Woz.

To be able to do something in life - whether a success or a failure is the most important thing in life. I could live my entire life working for a company and still have not achieved anything. Even if you have worked for 10 years, you are still a salaried employee who can be replaced, with perhaps a cheaper one. Well, practically speaking, to be dished out an appraisal after 10 years, based on an individual's whim to satisfy a Bell curve, makes you really want to consider your worth to an organization.

My plunge into the unkown through an MBA with esmt is not my purpose in my life but it is my first decision to shake up and break the shackles and the complancy that sets in during a long stint with any organization. My future is yet unwritten and the MBA is just a means to ask for a role to be able to help to write it.

The original partnership of Apple had Steve Jobs holding 45%, Steve Wozniak holding 45% and ....Rob Wayne holding 10%. Heard of Ron before? Well, he was drafted to help put together the legal framework for the new company. His 10% was bought out for $800 before the company went anywhere, because "he was used to big companies and big salaries" and not working out of a garage. (http://www.katize.com/2007/08/13/ronald-wayne-apple-computers-third-founder/) The link quotes him saying "“the best decision available at that time”

Only time will speak for the decisions that I make.