Evening with Geoffrey Cain- "Steve Jobs in Exile" The gamechanger for the world.

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At a recent Computer History Museum event, attendees gained rare insights into Steve Jobs’s “wilderness years” through a compelling book talk with Geoffrey Cain, author of Steve Jobs in Exile: The Untold Story of NeXT and the Remaking of an American Visionary. Joined by NeXT veterans Dan’l Lewin, Rich Page (via video), Avie Tevanian, and Bud Tribble—(A few moved to Apple too) who each knew Jobs for nearly 37 years—the panel illuminated how this turbulent decade transformed the tech visionary.

After his dramatic 1985 exit from Apple following a power struggle with John Sculley, Jobs founded NeXT with a handpicked team of Apple talent. Driven by ambition, he aimed to create the ultimate “3M” computer for education: one million instructions per second, one megabyte of RAM, and a one-megapixel display. The sleek black NeXT Cube embodied his design obsession, while NeXTSTEP software—led by Tevanian and Tribble—introduced object-oriented tools and networking that later became the foundation of Mac OS X and iOS. A NeXT Cube even powered Tim Berners-Lee’s invention of the World Wide Web at CERN.

Yet commercial reality struck hard. The Cube launched late and overpriced at $6,500, leading to near-failure. Panelists described how Jobs deployed his famed “reality distortion field” to its fullest, pushing teams through intense, marathon efforts amid lavish spending on factories, logos, and custom designs. Failures forced painful pivots, teaching Jobs operational discipline and better delegation.

A standout insight: Jobs’s marriage mellowed him significantly. The brash perfectionist evolved into a more introspective leader capable of building sustainable teams. Pixar's experiences complemented NeXT’s technical lessons, preparing him for Apple’s 1997 return after acquiring NeXT for $400 million.

Far from wasted time, NeXT’s bold ideas, breakthroughs, and humbling lessons forged Apple’s modern empire. As Cain and the panel emphasized, true innovation often emerges from spectacular failure and personal reinvention. The discussion reminded me of (how Apple acquired NeXT at 400Mn$ and created an ecosystem for flourishing when it had nothing) how Allied Signal, a behemoth, purchased an unknown entity called Honeywell and rechristened itself to work an image makeover and reached new heights!!) ( I was with Honeywell 2006-12)

Thank you Shravan for working on this, which is part of apple@50 event. Link for the book.

Karthik

28/5/26

5am PDT Foster City.

A Memorable Evening with Joanna Stern at the Computer History Museum.

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Neelay Patel, Joana, Karthik, Shravan at the book signing post event. 

Long break. Time flies with Maithri and Samarth. Boy Samarth is 9 months today. Maithri 4, in a few days. We now begin to think about our departure for Bangalore in few weeks, wonder how it will feel leaving the infants? 

Last Tuesday, May 19, 2026, I had the pleasure of attending Joanna Stern’s (Ex-Tech Correspondent WSJ) book event at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. My son Shravan thoughtfully arranged the evening for us, and I’m so grateful he did. The 90-minute program featured a lively discussion between Joanna and tech podcast host Neelay Patel, followed by a book signing that left a lasting impression.

Joanna signed my copy of I Am Not a Robot with a simple yet powerful message: “Be Human.” Those two words perfectly capture the spirit of her work. In an age when AI is advancing rapidly, her reminder feels both timely and essential. As I told Shravan afterward, we will never trade genuine human connection for a “Hi-fi” interaction with an AI bot. Technology can assist us, but it should never replace the warmth, nuance, and authenticity of real human relationships.

The book itself is both enlightening and entertaining. Joanna spent an entire year surrendering parts of her daily life to artificial intelligence—letting AI tools and robots handle household chores, health management, family transportation, decision-making, and more. She interviewed leading tech figures building this future and reported back with honesty, humor, and refreshing clarity.

The core question she explores is one we should all be asking: What happens when intelligent machines aren’t just in our pockets but are driving our cars, making decisions, folding our laundry, and educating our kids? The promises are grand—better health, personalized education, greater efficiency, more free time, and breakthroughs we can barely imagine. But Joanna’s year-long experiment reveals a more nuanced reality: one that is often hilarious, sometimes unsettling, and always deeply human.

In the age of AI, her message resonates strongly: we must continue to read deeply and not allow ourselves to be distracted by summaries, shortcuts, or algorithm-curated feeds. Real understanding comes from engaging fully with ideas, not skimming the surface.

The evening was time exceptionally well spent. Joanna’s book offers less hype and more clarity, written for ordinary people rather than just the tech enthusiasts. It’s filled with illustrations and photographs, making complex topics accessible and enjoyable.

If you’re curious about what our AI-powered future might actually look like—and how to navigate it while staying grounded in our humanity—I highly recommend I Am Not a Robot. Joanna Stern is the perfect guide: funny, honest, and refreshingly no-nonsense.

Thank you, Shravan, for making this evening possible. And thank you, Joanna, for the reminder to “Be Human.”

Regards

Karthik.

Foster City, CA

21/5/26. 

11am.