Technology | Consumer Brands | Media & Marketing Entrepreneur biography
Steve Jobs
An entrepreneur whose work at Apple, NeXT and Pixar connected computing, product design and storytelling in consumer technology.
Photo: Matthew Yohe / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Starting Apple
Steve Jobs co-founded Apple in 1976 with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. The company became part of the early personal-computer industry, developing products that brought computing into homes, schools and workplaces. Jobs's role became closely associated with how products were conceived, presented and experienced.
The Macintosh, introduced in 1984, was a major chapter in that history. Its graphical interface and product presentation reflected a view of computing in which the experience of using the machine mattered alongside its technical capabilities.
NeXT and Pixar
Jobs left Apple in 1985 and founded NeXT. He also became involved with the business that developed into Pixar. In his 2005 Stanford commencement address, he described that period as a creative new chapter in entrepreneurship.
The two companies operated in different fields: NeXT developed computing technology, while Pixar built a computer-animation business. Both became significant parts of Jobs's career outside Apple, connecting his entrepreneurial work with software, hardware and storytelling.
Sources [1]
Returning to a changing Apple
Apple acquired NeXT, bringing Jobs back to the company in 1997. His later period at Apple included the development and presentation of products such as the iMac, iPod and iPhone. These products linked hardware, software and services in ways that made the company part of everyday consumer routines.
The iPhone was announced in January 2007 as a combination of a phone, an iPod and an internet communications device. The announcement documents a concrete product milestone in the broader story of Jobs's return.
A public identity built around products
Jobs's public presence developed through product launches and presentations rather than the social-media creator model associated with many later entrepreneurs. He became the recognizable person introducing Apple's new products and explaining their intended place in customers' lives.
Apple's tribute celebrates Jobs's work and the messages shared about his influence. His entrepreneurial legacy connects the companies and products he helped build with a distinctive approach to bringing technology into everyday life.
A few turning points
Career milestones
The evidence behind the account
Sources & further reading
The linked source material was checked on October 13, 2026. Roles and business relationships may change. Source numbers refer to the sections above.
- Stanford UniversitySteve Jobs's 2005 Stanford commencement address
- AppleRemembering Steve
- AppleApple reinvents the phone with iPhone
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