The Steve Jobs Archive has released a previously unseen interview of Steve Jobs recorded on November 22, 1996. Published to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Toy Story, this footage captures Jobs at a critical juncture in his career. Filmed exactly one year after Pixar’s debut feature transformed the animation industry, the interview offers a detailed look at the management philosophies Jobs was refining just weeks before his historic return to Apple.
By late 1996, Pixar had successfully executed the largest IPO of the previous year, achieving a market valuation of approximately $1.5 billion following the critical and commercial success of Toy Story. In the interview, Jobs discusses the strategic decision to close Pixar’s television-commercial unit. This pivot allowed the studio to focus its resources entirely on feature-length films, such as the then-in-production A Bug’s Life.
Central to the discussion is Jobs’ articulation of an inverted hierarchy. He posits that traditional corporate management structures are ineffective when leading an organization comprised of world-class talent. Instead, he argues that the role of leadership is to facilitate the work of the artists and engineers, giving them a genuine stake in the outcome. This highlights how Jobs and Pixar President Ed Catmull were cultivating a culture designed to let exceptional talent thrive without bureaucratic impediment.
Furthermore, Jobs reflects on the “hard-won wisdom” regarding discipline and focus that he absorbed through Pixar’s partnership with Disney. He emphasizes a goal that would later become a pillar of the Apple brand: the desire to create products of “enduring value” that contribute meaningfully to the culture. This perspective reveals that Pixar’s seemingly overnight success was actually the result of a calculated “long game” focused on quality and storytelling rather than immediate financial returns.
Shortly after this interview concluded, Apple acquired NeXT, paving the way for Jobs to assume the CEO role in Cupertino. The leadership dynamics discussed here—specifically the blend of technological innovation and the liberal arts—directly influenced the strategies he employed to save Apple.
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