[nickelplate]

Given that he is such a micromanager, I am not sure Steve Jobs would have made a good CEO at the time. Apple was already huge at the time, and as the head of a large company you need to be able to see the entire picture (not just your favorite corner of the picture), as well as be willing to delegate. These things require experience, the taste of failure (sometimes), and maturity. Steve was always brilliant, but I am not sure he was wise enough to be a CEO at 25. Apple was already much more than a garage startup at the time.

[rimantas]

You call it micromanagement, I call him having high standards. I don't think he acts any different now: all the designs and advertising has to be approved by him, design report directly to CEO, other stuff gets delegated. As for the large picture, I think Jobs gets it much better than most of other CEOs.

[slantyyz]

The guy you have to get to the first level usually isn't the same guy you need to get the second level.

I do wonder how Apple would have turned out if Spindler didn't become CEO. That's when things really started to go downhill.