The Walt Disney Company
April 2023

Dear Fellow Employees —

Some time after we acquired Pixar and Steve Jobs became our largest shareholder and a member of our Board of Directors, I sought advice from him on something, and mentioned his stature as a shareholder and a board member.

He responded immediately, exhorting me to treat him as a friend and an advisor, and I was both surprised and thrilled.

As the years passed, Steve and I became great friends. We shared a passion for many things, including music, travel, and design, but we also were enthralled with the intersection of great creativity with groundbreaking technology. Steve once said that combination “made his heart sing,” and I saw that happen to him on many occasions.

Of course, nowhere was that more evident than at Apple, where Steve’s vision, his commitment to excellence, and his ability to take big risks were always on display.

In the years since his passing, rarely has a day gone by that I haven’t thought of Steve. I often find myself drawing from his wisdom and instincts, and I would give almost anything to seek advice from him again!

When Laurene Powell Jobs assembled a group of us to help curate Steve’s legacy and to give people access to his wonderful mind and the breadth and depth of his “genius,” the concept of this book was born, and I am thrilled to share it with you.

What makes it different is that it is a collection of Steve’s own words, drawn from his speeches, interviews, and correspondence. In these pages, we are offered a glimpse into his unique and wonderful mind. In a sense, this book is another tool from Steve — a resource for you, the reader, to spark the creativity that lives inside all of us and make your own mark on the world.

When I think back on my time as CEO — at the things I’m most grateful for and surprised by — my relationship with Steve is at the top of the list. I’m thankful that his unique perspectives on life and work will now be in your hands, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to call him a friend.

I hope that you find the following pages as inspiring as I have.

Bob