Book excerpt: "Apple: The First 50 Years" by David Pogue

March 8, 2026

TL;DR

Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, finding the company in dire straits with low morale and a lack of strategy.
Jobs simplified the company's structure and drastically reduced the number of Mac models from 70 to four.
He launched the "Think Different" campaign, which celebrated creativity and independence with black-and-white images of revolutionary figures.
The campaign, initially met with resistance, aimed to restore Apple's soul and give employees a sense of pride.
Despite not mentioning computers, the "Think Different" ad was a critical and commercial success, winning awards and running for five years.
Within a year of Jobs's return, Apple achieved profitability, a significant turnaround for the company.

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