After the global success of the iPod, Steve Jobs wasn’t used to hearing the word “no.”

But when looking for the iPhone launch partner, that’s all he heard.

He had one last meeting with the only company who hadn't rejected him yet.

Here’s how he negotiated in that meeting 🧶👇

1) First, a bit of context:

Before the iPhone, the wireless phone industry could not have been more different than what it is today.

Wireless network providers (carriers) had pretty much all the control.

2) AT&T (then Cingular), Verizon, and others set the rules. They told phone makers how to spec the phones. They owned the distribution. They even controlled the phone’s software.

Phone manufacturers had little autonomy to do what they wanted.

Steve, obviously, had other plans.

3) He wouldn’t let anything compromise his vision of creating a device that combined an iPod, Phone, and Internet Communicator.

And, in classic Steve fashion, he wanted to be in control of it all.

4) Unwilling to compromise, Jobs knew that he needed to find a launch partner that would be willing to completely relinquish their control, in the hopes that his iPhone would be a massive success.

So he came up with his list of demands.