CNBC:
Recruiters for Apple had been after Cook, a vice president at Compaq, which was then the world’s biggest seller of PCs worldwide. He turned them down several times, he told Charlie Rose in 2014. But then he thought, “I’m going to go out and take the meeting. Steve created the whole industry that I’m in, I’d love to meet him.”
When the pair got together, “Well, I’m just thinking I’m going to meet him and all of a sudden he’s talking about his strategy and his vision,” said Cook.
And Cook was impressed.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Cook had to be convinced to leave his gig at Compaq but it turned out well for all involved – except maybe Compaq.
and i bet Tim had to convince that Google AI guy and that Amazon guy as well.
I’d imagine Apple’s enormous cumulative success since 1998 would’ve done a lot of the convincing before they even met.
I’m not sure what’s more impressive; Tim’s leap of faith or Steve’s ability to convince him to take it. A truly remarkable occasion.
“One CEO I consulted felt so strongly about it he told me I would be a fool to leave Compaq for Apple.”
Tim is entirely too genteel. C’mon! Enquiring minds want to know!
Probably Michael Dell. 😉
“Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?”
😉
“Tim, let me tell you a story about a little boy who grew up to be a CEO named John Sculley.
“No… wait. That doesn’t end well.”
I remember reading some where Cook saying, “Steve talked about how Apple was going deep into consumer, just when everyone else is going deep into corporate” and he was impressed by that.
Compaq? Which phone do they make?