PodcastSoftware Engineering DailyOctober 8, 2026

Steve Jobs in Exile

NeXT's 1985-1996 "failure" years produced NeXTSTEP, the direct technical ancestor of Mac OS X and iOS, reshaping Apple's modern $4T+ business.

NeXT as hidden turning point: Author Geoffrey Cain argues NeXT (1985-1996) wasn't a failure but where Steve Jobs built NeXTSTEP, the object-oriented OS that became Mac OS X and the iPhone's foundation.
IBM actually licensed NeXTSTEP: Dan'l Lewin reveals IBM had a joint IBM/NeXT logo, planned to deploy it company-wide replacing its internal email system, and Parcific Systems/ESL were pursuing government deals before the partnership collapsed after Lewin's departure.

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