Inside Apple's Early Days: Espinosa On Jobs' Leadership

Chris Espinosa, who joined Apple at 14, recently shared insights about Steve Jobs' management style. "He's a maniac... a maniacal genius. His job is to stir up everything... He will not leave anything alone," Espinosa remarked.

Espinosa began working part-time at Apple in 1976 while still in high school. By 1977, when Apple was officially incorporated by Steve Jobs and Steve 'Woz' Wozniak, he became an official employee, identified as employee no. 8. His first task was testing the Apple II BASIC operating system during his Christmas holidays.

Apple's Early Marketing Principles

In a previous interview, Espinosa discussed Apple's marketing principles from 1978. "There were three words. Empathy: know your customer, know what they want. Focus: do fewer things better. And impute: always carry value in everything you do. Those are things that we do today," he explained.

When Jobs left Apple in 1985 to start NeXT, Espinosa remained the senior employee at Apple. He continued in this role even after Jobs returned to Apple following its acquisition of NeXT in 1997.

Flagging Fake Badges on eBay

Earlier this year, Espinosa flagged a fake vintage Apple employee badge on eBay that sold for over $1,000 (about Rs 84,000). The badge was claimed to belong to Sherry Livingston, employee no. 10. However, Espinosa pointed out several inaccuracies.

"That wasn't taken with a Polaroid with a flash. The laminate dimensions are all wrong. That's a computer font, not an IBM Selectric Orator-type ball. That's not my original sketch which was on a national engineering pad," he detailed in his rebuttal.

Despite his efforts to debunk the badge's authenticity, the item was sold before any proof could prevent the sale.

Espinosa's journey with Apple began when the company was founded in a garage on April Fool's Day in 1976. Over the years, he has witnessed and contributed to many of Apple's milestones.

His reflections on Jobs' relentless pursuit of perfection highlight the intense environment that shaped Apple's innovative culture.

The stories and experiences shared by Espinosa offer valuable insights into Apple's early days and the visionary leadership of Steve Jobs.