Steve and Atari

Back in 1974 Atari was a well-established gaming leader. Not surprisingly Steve Jobs wanted to work there. 18-year-old Jobs was a college dropout and stepped in Atari looking like a “crackpot”. What could be judged as unprofessional by many was the way he appeared in front of Atari`s engineer Al Alcorn. On his first meeting with Al Alcorn, his unwashed and bearded face did not show any signs that he will be one of the most powerful people in the technological sector later in his life. Even more, Al Alcorn was debating whether to call the police or talk to him. He allowed Jobs to explain his visit and mainly because he thought that young Steve will be a cheap hire”. Jobs was hired as employee #40 at Atari.

Probably you think that at that moment the life and appearance of Jobs changed more attractively, but you are wrong. In his time at Atari Jobs had quite a reputation as a harsh young man. There were complaints from other employees because he was mocking or insulting them. Moreover, he was keeping bad hygiene and just could not fit in. Despite all these downfalls he had a passion for technology and had a way with words. Therefore, the company decided to keep him as a night shift engineer.