Heidi Roizen: I have learned by working with Jobs
Makradar Technologies / / December 19, 2019
It has long been no secret that Steve Jobs is distinguished by difficult character. But, working with him, you can always learn something, and what once told Heidi Roizen.
After graduating from Stanford business school, she opened with his brother Peter company T / Maker. Peter has been a software developer, and Heidi deals with all the others.
Their small company was one of the first to supply the software for Macintosh, and she soon He has earned a good reputation in the emerging environment of development that, naturally, led to the expansion business.
After a while, two of the company's developers, Randy Adams and William Parkharst, went to work for Steve in his new brainchild NeXT. It is thanks to them for the first time Heidi came face to face with Jobs.
At that time, the founder of Apple had some problems. Steve had acquired the developers who wrote the text editor MacAuthor, and promised to publish their program and pay the appropriate royalties.
But as it looked in the eyes of the public the fact that the first product of the company - is a text editor for the Mac? Randy and William offered to publishers acted as Heidi, that would solve the problem. Steve liked the idea, and he asked Rosen to discuss the matter.
The first meeting with Jobs lasted more than an hour. He talked about the packaging, channels, distribution and product positioning. And it looks like Heidi passed the test when Steve again invited her to a meeting. The next three weeks she spent preparing the contract, based on the experience of the company with other developers.
On the appointed day, after 45 -minutnogo expectations (which was in the order of things Steve), Heidi was called into the office. She was terribly nervous, but knew for what should be the maximum amount of the transaction.
Steve took the contract and attentively poring over it, until he reached a key point of the royalties. Heidi wrote 15%, which at the time was the standard of the company.
«15 %? This is funny. I want 50% ", - said Steve.
Roizen was stunned. She could not get him to list 50% of its revenue. She became defensive, talk about the economy of the company, after which Steve broke the contract, handed her a piece of paper and said:
"Return to 50%, or no return".
Heidi sat in the car, feeling that foiled the biggest deal of her life. But at that moment, after it came out, Daniel Levin, co-founder of NeXT. His office was located in the vicinity of Jobs, and he had heard the whole conversation. Daniel has worked for some time with Heidi, and they have since established an excellent relationship.
If the transaction did not take place, then Daniel had to find some new person. Therefore, he sincerely wanted it to be concluded. He put his arm around Heidi and said something that forever etched in her memory:
"Do it so that it looked at 50%."
"But I can not pay the 50%", - complained Roizen.
"I understand that you can not pay 50% of gross profit," - said Daniel, - "but Steve wants to see 50% of the contract. Find a way to make it so that you easily lived, and at the same time you could talk about the 50%. "
Here at Heidi and there was a brilliant idea. amount of the contract was not so important for the future of NeXT. Payments Heidi became the first source of income of the new company Steve, but they were not the main purpose (Steve later he mocked Roizen, assuring that he received more money by collecting interest from your bank account).
Jobs promised developers to pay 50%, and had to keep his word. In turn, Heidi had to make it 15% of the contract looked like 50%.
In order to reach the desired number, it is added to the total costs of packaging, technical support, payments to developers, for its part, and other costs. Thus, Heidi reached 50%, which corresponded to 15% of its gross profit. So everything was ready to make a deal!
Steve was happy when I saw the contract 50%, and gladly signed it. T / Maker became publisher renamed WriteNow text editor. He was very successful and brought millions as the NeXT, and T / Maker. Heidi, in turn, for many more years collaborated with Steve. But that's another story!
So, what is learned Heidi Roizen, working with Steve:
- It is necessary to know a firm frame. Heidi knew how much it can pay the company, and what - no. She found the right solution, and cranked out a deal that would satisfy both the one and the other side.
- Do not let you dazzle. Heidi has not made it unprofitable for a deal just because dealt with very well-known and influential person. In the world of venture capital investment many transact only because it would be a great advertisement in the press. Never do this!
- After securing allies within another company. Heidi is well known Daniel Levin, and he understood that he was dealing with a thoughtful, adventurous and moral person, with whom I would like to do business. Without his help deal would not have been concluded. Having established excellent relationships within the company, you will almost always be in a better position.
- You have to understand the needs of another person. In business schools teach that the transaction - this is the process of finding mutual benefit. Initially, Heidi did not understand what the true purpose of Steve. As it turned out, he did not need the money, it was important to fulfill the promise given to developers. Often have to conduct long hours of negotiations, in order to understand exactly what your partner wants. But when both sides are beginning to understand each other, the process of getting better quickly, so are very strong and long term relationship.
via Heidi Roizen