Yes. People go off, try new things, then get acquired and brought back into the mothership to incorporate their experiment. Its a very valid model of R&D.
In terms of the Apple acquisition of NeXT, Steve Jobs is not an outlier.
Founders leaving big companies, often in groups, to found starups that are later acquired by big companies - often one they previously worked for, is common.
Its the most common pattern among successful startups. Its happened since day one of silicon valley, 110 years ago. This pattern is the basis of most of the wealth in the area.
