Looking back on my relationships and experiences has been both challenging and rewarding, including my fantastic early collaboration with Steve Jobs on projects like the Apple II and Macintosh software.

I realized that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me, as it allowed me to start over and pursue what I loved. Being a beginner again can free you to enter a highly creative period in your life.

When I was 22, I wanted fortune and fame, so I went to Hollywood. I always looked for the best tools to realize exciting stories, partnering with tech leaders like Steve Jobs at Pixar.

In ten years, Apple grew from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees, but then I got fired.

Working at a small startup helped me discover my passion for software, as I found it rewarding to build something that could change how people work.

I started programming at a young age, which built my confidence and set me on a path to entrepreneurship, showing that early experiences can be crucial for future success.

I started a company named NeXT and another named Pixar, and I fell in love with an amazing woman who became my wife.

After graduating from college, I struggled to find my path, working various jobs until I met Paul Graham, which led to our partnership in founding Y Combinator.

I was out of Apple, the focus of my entire adult life, and it was devastating; I felt I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down.