IDEO founder David Kelley had a wide-ranging interview on tonight's 60 Minutes in which he speaks about his relationship with Steve Jobs, the creation of the first Apple Mouse and more. Kelley and his company, IDEO, were integral in Apple's early history and designed the first Apple Mouse, the Lisa and more.

Kelley talks about Jobs and how he was very specific in wanting things, which isn't a surprise as there have been numerous stories of Jobs calling up people in the middle of the night finalizing details for various products. Kelley also talks about their personal relationship and how Jobs advised Kelley to seek western medicine to treat his wife's throat cancer and how Jobs tried to set up an original iPhone for Kelley by calling AT&T.

"The day after the iPhone was announced, he had one for me. You know,  your own iPhone given to you by Steve Jobs the day after it comes out - it was a lovely feeling. So he decides to hook it up for me, so he gets on the phone to AT&T and he's going to hook up my phone and it's not going well.

Eventually he pulls the 'I'm Steve Jobs' card, you know, he says to the guy 'I'm Steve Jobs.' I'm sure the guy on the other end says "yeah buddy, and I'm Napoleon" like get out of here. Yeah, but anyway he never did get it hooked up. No, not that day."


The Steve Jobs and Apple parts are at the 3:00 and 7:42 marks. The rest of the video focuses on Kelley's early life, IDEO's process and his new relationship with Stanford.

Top Rated Comments

drummingcraig Avatar
168 months ago
Oh to have been a fly on the wall while Steve was on the phone with AT&T! :D
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yashrg Avatar
168 months ago
AT&T: Where even Steve Jobs couldn't get an iPhone to work.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chriscrk Avatar
168 months ago
I love Steve, but seeing the people he worked with is so awesome... The one's who didn't get as much recognition. Great part of them just seem so admirable.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mrsir2009 Avatar
168 months ago
Oh to have been a fly on the wall while Steve was on the phone with AT&T! :D

Not even Steve Jobs is a match for phone comapny call centres - Quite possibly the most international places on earth :cool:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SamGabbay Avatar
168 months ago
I was so upset about my iPhone not being activated same day...

Now I don't feel as bad. :o :)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Swampthing Avatar
168 months ago
You said the wrong person had cancer....

Please get the story correct!

It was David Kelley who had the cancer NOT HIS WIFE as you say in the article. That's what the 60 minutes segment says. They even talk about how his cancer is now in remission.

Might seem like a minor point to you, but I doubt if he or his family read any of this, they aren't too enthused by the incredible error made by MacRumors...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Two Breakthrough Features

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:26 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include two standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're officially less than one week away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Report: Low-Cost iPhone, iPad, MacBook Coming Early 2026

Friday November 21, 2025 2:26 am PST by
Apple is planning to release new entry-level models across its iPhone, iPad, and Mac categories early next year, with an all-new affordable MacBook the most notable addition to the lineup. According to a new research report by Jeff Pu of GF Securities seen by MacRumors, Apple will launch the iPhone 17e – its second iteration of the "e" line – in the spring, likely along with a...