Mike Markkula is the behind-the-scenes man of Apple. Most people know the story of Steve Jobs, but Markkula began as a marketing director who would use the capital he’d gain to help finance Apple. His experience helped drive Jobs’ products and operations, and his vision helped build Apple into a successful tech company from it humble beginnings in a garage.
Markkula’s involvement with Apple began with the Apple II, which had impressed him. He offered Wozniak and Jobs some help writing a business plan, and that led him to take an interest of his own in the development of their endeavor. He gave them $250,000 in return for 20% of the company stock, a deal they happily agreed too. He then used his connections to add another $600,000 to that initial investment. He tapped himself to head the marketing department and used Michael Scott from National Semiconductor Corp to act as CEO.
He helped incorporate Apple in 1977, and the launch of their early products is pop history by now. Markkula’s views on advertising helped shape the company’s messaging for years to come, and it was his work that helped develop $15 million in sales within the first year. The success of the Apple II led to the Macintosh I and II in 1984 and ’87 respectively.
Markkula saw Apple through many transitions, but ended his time after 20 years. He left in 1997, amid managerial tension and financial instability. Steve Jobs was gone and Wozniak was nowhere to be found. It seemed like a good time to bow out, and the company’s improvements never seemed to draw Markkula back into the game.
