14 DAY TRIAL // An exclusive interview with former Apple CEO John Sculley, scheduled to go live tomorrow, October 14, 2010, reveals how Jobs actually modeled Apple on Italian car companies (rather than other computer makers), a brilliant invention of his that no one ever talks about, and why it would have been impossible to license Mac OS to other PC vendors, to name a few key topics covered.
CultofMac promises to have the interview published on Thursday, this week, which marks the first time Sculley has ever talked publicly about Steve Jobs since he was forced out of Apple in 1993, the site’s Leander Kahney points out.
According to the Cult, the interview will see Sculley reveal the secrets of Jobs’ methodology, and a few other surprises. The main topics covered in the interview are:
- How Jobs modeled Apple on Italian car companies, not other computer makers - Why Jobs demanded the Mac team have no more than 100 people - Jobs’ other brilliant invention from the Mac era that no one ever talks about - The biggest mistake Apple ever made - How the Newton saved Apple from going bankrupt - Why it would have been impossible to license the Mac to other PC manufacturers
Sculley was the president of PepsiCo, and later became CEO of Apple when Jobs persuaded him to team up and help build Apple into a better company.
Jobs wooed Sculley from Pepsi using the famous line: “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?”
Sculley later forced Jobs out of Apple, following an internal struggle for power over the company. Jobs was not to return to Apple until 1997, four years after his forced resignation.
“There are many product development and marketing lessons I learned working with Steve in the early days,” says Sculley, according to Cult of Mac. “It’s impressive how he still sticks to his same first principles years later.”
“I don’t see any change in Steve’s first principles — except he’s gotten better and better at it,” he adds.