In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, Apple CEO Tim Cook talked about his early career, lessons he learned from Steve Jobs, and his ascent from humble beginnings to overseeing one of the world’s most valuable companies.
Cook recounted his first job at the age of 12, delivering newspapers in the early hours of the morning, which helped him pay for school. He was the first in his family to attend college, which he considered a privilege. He stressed that for his generation, college was viewed as a means of opening doors and “standing on the shoulders” of one’s parents.
Cook’s first corporate job after graduating from Auburn University was at IBM in 1983, when he was introduced to a world of “really smart people from all around the world.” Reflecting on his early days there, he described a poor beginning: “I had no furnishings at all. I slept on the floor for a while until I could afford to buy a bed.”
However, one of the most crucial moments in Cook’s career occurred in 1998, when Steve Jobs invited him to join Apple, which was on the edge of failure. Cook was initially drawn to Jobs’ imaginative approach and product-centric focus. “He was a very different type of CEO.” He concentrated on products, products, and products.
Despite warnings from others about Apple’s grave financial situation, Cook trusted his instincts and saw a chance for a turnaround. He recalled Jobs’ unshakable belief in focusing on consumers at a time when the industry was shifting toward enterprise solutions: “Everybody thought you could not make any money selling to consumers,” Cook said. \
Working with Jobs had a significant impact on Cook’s leadership and management style. He credits Jobs with teaching him crucial lessons about the power of invention, the value of simplicity, and the ability to embrace change. “He taught me the value of innovation, the fact that small teams could do amazing things,” Cook said. He emphasized Jobs’ unusual capacity to adjust his mind when confronted with new facts, a trait that Cook came to admire.
Cook also talked about his enthusiasm for logistics and manufacturing, which originated from his expertise in industrial engineering. “Manufacturing has always interested me because I’m very curious about how things are made,” he told me. Cook described supply chain management as a “piece of art,” explaining how it is “a symphony of things coming together,” with thousands of components working together to create a single product.
When questioned about the sacrifices he has made to obtain his current position, Cook jokingly mentioned sleep and an excessive consumption of coffee. “I get both positive and negative feedback,” he said, explaining how it helps him stay connected with Apple’s community.
When asked if his younger self ever dreamed he’d be where he is today, Cook said, “Zero,” reflecting on his extraordinary journey from a paperboy to Apple CEO. Despite developing a 25-year plan during his doctoral studies, he confessed, “Life has a way of happening and throwing you off track from some well-crafted plan.” What is his advice? Recognize when doors open and prepare to walk through them.