Reasons I Still Love Working With Steve Jobs Even Though He Sacked Me 5 Times And Treated Me Horribly
I still love working with Steve Jobs even though he fired me 5 times and treated me terribly because no matter what, I will forever be grateful to Steve Jobs. My current success is attributed to him.
In an interview, Andy Cunningham shared a very interesting story during her time working with Steve Jobs at Apple as follows:
I think Steve Jobs fired me about 5 times. My name is Andy Cunningham and I currently run a marketing consulting firm called Cunningham Collective. I also just wrote a book on the topic of “positioning companies in the market”, and its content also reflects the extremely practical things in the field of marketing.
That time, Jobs called me into the office, and when I walked in, I knew that Steve was having a meeting with the company's CFO. Then Jobs looked at me and said, “I'm going to cut off my contract with you. I think the work you're doing is terrible and we’re just going to stop it right now so that's it, you're fired.”
Of course, I was furious at the time. I almost lost control of my emotions and nearly burst into tears. I really didn’t know what I did wrong. However, at that time, I told Steve, “Okay, well you know you owe me $35,000 and so I’ll arrange you know for you to—”.
Immediately, Jobs stood up and left and did not forget to throw it in my face: " I'm not going to pay you that because your work wasn't worth it!"
That saying certainly left me paralyzed. But then, I left the company and turned to a friend, as well as my mentor, Regis McKenna, for advice on my future path. After listening to my story, Regis advised: " Well, if you want to get paid by Steve Jobs you’re going to have to have something over him."
At that time, I really didn't realize what that ‘something’ was, until Regis suggested: "In your relationships with the business press."
Until then, I understood and happily exclaimed: “Oh I get it.”
Soon after, thanks to my good relationship with Apple's CFO, I successfully made an appointment to meet Steve Jobs again. I walked into the conference room and said, “Steve, you owe me $35,000. I need that money. I have a start-up company. I need to make payroll and I want you to give me a check for what you owe me.”
Again, Steve replied, "I'm not going to do that." I said, " You have to do that." Steve asked: “Why?”,
After listening, Steve Jobs immediately signed me a check and invited me back to the company to work again.
Steve Jobs was very angry with all his colleagues as well as employees in the company. He has no concept of patience. Jobs always gives you criteria for you to complete. If you fail to meet your deadlines, or do not do well enough, you will inevitably incur his wrath.
Steve often puts all the responsibility on the employees when they do not complete the assigned work. Those things were no big deal, as Steve was just like throwing a bunch of papers on the desk, or yelling at them, or complaining about their work clothes, for example. However, for some people it was a serious and unworthy insult.
But no matter what, I will always be grateful to Steve Jobs actually for the experience because now I am so much better at what I do than I would have been without him.
H/T: Business Insider
Source: Business Insider India
In an interview, Andy Cunningham shared a very interesting story during her time working with Steve Jobs at Apple as follows:
I think Steve Jobs fired me about 5 times. My name is Andy Cunningham and I currently run a marketing consulting firm called Cunningham Collective. I also just wrote a book on the topic of “positioning companies in the market”, and its content also reflects the extremely practical things in the field of marketing.
That time, Jobs called me into the office, and when I walked in, I knew that Steve was having a meeting with the company's CFO. Then Jobs looked at me and said, “I'm going to cut off my contract with you. I think the work you're doing is terrible and we’re just going to stop it right now so that's it, you're fired.”
Of course, I was furious at the time. I almost lost control of my emotions and nearly burst into tears. I really didn’t know what I did wrong. However, at that time, I told Steve, “Okay, well you know you owe me $35,000 and so I’ll arrange you know for you to—”.
Source: Getty Images
Immediately, Jobs stood up and left and did not forget to throw it in my face: " I'm not going to pay you that because your work wasn't worth it!"
That saying certainly left me paralyzed. But then, I left the company and turned to a friend, as well as my mentor, Regis McKenna, for advice on my future path. After listening to my story, Regis advised: " Well, if you want to get paid by Steve Jobs you’re going to have to have something over him."
At that time, I really didn't realize what that ‘something’ was, until Regis suggested: "In your relationships with the business press."
Until then, I understood and happily exclaimed: “Oh I get it.”
Soon after, thanks to my good relationship with Apple's CFO, I successfully made an appointment to meet Steve Jobs again. I walked into the conference room and said, “Steve, you owe me $35,000. I need that money. I have a start-up company. I need to make payroll and I want you to give me a check for what you owe me.”
Again, Steve replied, "I'm not going to do that." I said, " You have to do that." Steve asked: “Why?”,
Source: Business Insider India
After listening, Steve Jobs immediately signed me a check and invited me back to the company to work again.
Steve Jobs was very angry with all his colleagues as well as employees in the company. He has no concept of patience. Jobs always gives you criteria for you to complete. If you fail to meet your deadlines, or do not do well enough, you will inevitably incur his wrath.
Steve often puts all the responsibility on the employees when they do not complete the assigned work. Those things were no big deal, as Steve was just like throwing a bunch of papers on the desk, or yelling at them, or complaining about their work clothes, for example. However, for some people it was a serious and unworthy insult.
But no matter what, I will always be grateful to Steve Jobs actually for the experience because now I am so much better at what I do than I would have been without him.
H/T: Business Insider
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