Steve Jobs the Ultimate Intrapreneur and Ultimate Entrepreneur

Intrapreneurship Institute Case Study of Apple

By Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D. is Professional Keynote Speaker and the Leading Expert and Thought Leader on Intrapreneurship, Corporate Entrepreneurship, Intrapreneurship Program Creation, Using Intrapreneurship programs as a strategic tool for Recruiting and Retaining Key Employees, and Using Intrapreneurship to Increase Innovation and Foster Creativity.

Steve Jobs is well-known as a successful and innovative Entrepreneur. But by his own definitive published statement, Jobs was both an Intrapreneur and Entrepreneur! Steve and Apple made new Technologies available for the masses was material improved by the creativity and innovation of Steve Jobs.

Steve Jobs, Apple’s Chairman, was specifically helpful in popularizing the term “intrapreneurship.” In a September 30, 1985 “Newsweek” article Jobs said of Intrapreneurship within Apple,
“The Macintosh team was what is commonly known as intrapreneurship… a group of people going, in essence, back to the garage, but in a large company.”

 

Earlier that year, the February 4, 1985 TIME Magazine’s article, “Here come the Intrapreneurs” discussed the intrapreneurial spirit. The article included the creation of Apple, Saturn within General Motors, as well as intrapreneurship ventures within AT&T, Data General, DuPont, and Texas Instruments.

As a side note, Apple Computer itself was potentially an intrapreneurial venture, as it was an outgrowth of two big corporation employees. Steve Jobs had worked at Atari and Steve Wozniak (“Woz”) worked at Hewlett Packard part-time when he and Steve Jobs were first experimented with creating “personal computer.” Because of his employment agreement with HP Wozniak actually had presented his prototype “personal computer” to an HP executive. Fortunately for “Woz” and Jobs the HP Executive unilaterally rejected the idea with a comment to the effect of “what would ordinary people do with a computer?” On hearing the good news of the HP rejection Jobs is reported to have said, “We’re on our way!”

Later, in the early 1980’s Steve Jobs and his handpicked group of twenty Apple Computer engineers separated themselves from the other Apple employees to innovatively and intrapreneurially create the Apple Macintosh Computer (the “Mac”). Some ay that this creative, intrapreneurial and very independent group of intrapreneurs verged on becoming a “cult” within Apple Computer.

The MAC group, under Steve Jobs’ personal leadership, operated totally independently and without interference from anyone at Apple. Some who were familiar with the situation commented that Jobs and his Band of Engineers were allowed to play “without adult supervision” to successfully and independently using intrapreneurship to create the Apple “Mac” Computer. (hint: Apple’s, CEO, John Scully, and the Apple Board of Directors).

This separate Apple intrapreneurship venture would ultimately compete with Apple’s mainstay products. This competition was part of what ultimately led Apple’s CEO John Scully among with Apple Board Director venture capitalist Arthur Rock to become displeased with Jobs leadership style and his Intrapreneurial independence. Scully along with venture capitalist Arthur Rock later led the Board fight to fire Steve Jobs (which John Scully later admitted was mistake on his part). Fortunately, several years late Steve Jobs later returned to save Apple as its Chairman until his death 2012.

Intrapreneurship, sometime called Corporate Entrepreneurship, comes from the idea of using entrepreneurial ideas, innovation, and start-up business techniques within a large (or medium sized) organization.

To be a successful intrapreneur takes much more than just creativity or an idea. The successful intrapreneur has to be willing to take real risks at sharing and pushing a unique idea. An intrapreneur has to be willing to go into work focused on a mission and be willing to be fired at any moment in defense of their intrapreneurial objective. Steve Jobs clearly demonstrated that virtue.

“Intrapreneurship has been called the ‘secret weapon for success’. It has been used in high tech firms such as 3M, Anaconda-Ericsson, Apple Computer, AT&T, Corona Data Systems, Data General, DuPont, GE, Genentech, Lockheed, Prime Computer, Rubbermaid, Sony, Texas Instruments, Toyota, and other successful firms!” (quote from Dr. Haller’s 2009 published intrapreneurship book, “Intrapreneurship Success: A PR1ME Example”)

The term “Intrapreneurship” has become part of the business lexicon for the last thirty years. The TIME and Newsweek articles were both published in 1985. But three years earlier, Howard Edward Haller’s completed formal academic case study and Master’s Thesis documented the terms “intrapreneurship” and “corporate entrepreneurship.” Haller successfully defended his June 1982 Masters Thesis which was an Intrapreneurship Case study. He studied, researched, and wrote about the Super Mini Computer firm, PR1ME Computer Inc. (1977 to 1980). Haller’s Masters Thesis research was published by the University in 1982. (Dr. Haller’s 1982 University published intrapreneurship academic research and case study is cited in Wikipedia.org’s History of Intrapreneurship.) Then three years later, the “Intrapreneuring” term was popularized by management consultant Gifford Pinchot III in his book “Intrapreneuring” which was published in 1985. Dr. Howard Haller’s recent 2009 published intrapreneurship book “Intrapreneurship Success” is additionally cited by Wikipedia.org in their History of Intrapreneurship.

Over the last three decades both large and small growing companies have experimented with allowing intrapreneurial activity within their organizations. Several successful intrapreneurial ventures come to mind including: APPLE’s “Macintosh;” Anaconda-Ericsson Inc.’s Anaconda-Ericsson Finance and Leasing Inc.; Corona Data Systems “OEM Private Label Division”; GOOGLE’s Gmail, Google News, Orkut, and Google AdSense; General Motors Saturn Division; PR1ME Computer’s “PR1ME Leasing;” 3M’s “Post-It Notes” as well as 3M multilayer optical film technology, 3M’s Vikuiti™ and 3M Scotch® Pop-Up Tape.; SONY’s hugely successful “PlayStation;” and the WL Gore’s “Elixir Guitar Sting Line.”

Thanks to Steve Jobs, the Ultimate Intrapreneur and Entrepreneur, for a wonderful solid string of innovative products including, but not limited to: Apple Computer, Mac, iPod, iTune, iPad, iPhone, iCloud, Pixar and much more.

What a Legacy! Thanks, Steve Jobs.
You will be missed, but not forgotten.

Copyright (C) 1982-2012, Intrapreneurship Institute and Dr. Howard Edward Haller

Contact info for Dr. Howard Haller and the Intrapreneurship Institute:

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Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D. is Professional Keynote Speaker on Intrapreneurship, Corporate Entrepreneurship, Intrapreneurship Program Creation, Using Intrapreneurship programs as a strategic tool for Recruiting and Retaining Key Employees, and Using Intrapreneurship to Increase Innovation and Foster Creativity.

Dr. Howard Edward Haller is a “street smart” serial Intrapreneur and Entrepreneur, and is the Leading Expert and Thought Leader on Intrapreneurship, Intrapreneurship Program Creation, Intrapreneurship Program Implementation & Operation, and Entrepreneurship.

Dr. Haller is also a University Graduate Business School Professor, major University Trustee (Emeritus), and past University Board President, as well as a seasoned Senior Corporate Executive of major public and private companies. Haller was the Founder and Managing Director of Anaconda-Ericsson Finance and Leasing Inc.(for Anaconda-Ericsson Inc., the ARCO & LM Ericsson Joint Venture) Dr. Haller was Senior Vice President of United Artist/Tele-Communications Inc., where he managed assets in excess of $4 Billion.

Howard Edward Haller’s groundbreaking 1982 University published academic research on intrapreneurship is cited by Wikipedia.org in their “History of Intrapreneurship” entry. In addition, Dr. Haller’s 2009 published intrapreneurship book “Intrapreneurship Success: A PR1ME Example” is also cited by Wikipedia.org in their “History of Intrapreneurship.”

Book Dr. Howard Edward Haller to speak or consult with your entire firm or your senior executive on Intrapreneurship, Corporate Entrepreneurship , Intrapreneurship Program Creation or Increasing Innovation with your company.