Shane Parrish(@shaneparrish):Steve Jobs almost disappeared from history. After being ousted from Apple, he spent 12 years struggling. He: • Alienated the people closest to him • Blew up deals that could have saved his company • Refused to compromise • Drove away his co-founders and investors • Burned through hundreds of millions of dollars Fortune wondered if he was a “snake oil salesman.” But those 12 years of failure taught him the lessons that would eventually save Apple and turn him into the Steve Jobs we remember. I sat down with biographer @geoffrey_cain to unpack the lost decade and the lessons Jobs learned the hard way. Enjoy! (Includes paid partnerships.)

2026.09.01 12:05

Steve Jobs almost disappeared from history. After being ousted from Apple, he spent 12 years struggling. He: • Alienated the people closest to him • Blew up deals that could have saved his company • Refused to compromise • Drove away his co-founders and investors • Burned through hundreds of millions of dollars Fortune wondered if he was a “snake oil salesman.” But those 12 years of failure taught him the lessons that would eventually save Apple and turn him into the Steve Jobs we remember. I sat down with biographer @geoffrey_cain to unpack the lost decade and the lessons Jobs learned the hard way. Enjoy! (Includes paid partnerships.)