As someone pointed out, creating a flood of Tweets to bring down the system is a techworld’s equivalent of a 21-gun salute, and if anyone earned such outpouring of love, it had to be Steve. Its hard to think of any other single individual who had as transformative effect on the world as we know it (at least without pushing the red button), and Steve’s impact is mirrored in the millions of tweets and posts from common iSomething users like myself. I learned about Steve’s passing through my iPhone, which I then used to share the feelings with others. I used the iPod to play the Beatles (El Jobso’s favorite band), and now sitting and writing these words on a MacBook.
Steve created the world’s most comprehensive ecosystem, a perfect business strategy and a maddening cult-like following among the masses and elites alike. All that without a college degree, Ivy League MBA and no formal training in technology. First and foremost he was a passionate and driven individual. An individual who believed his gut feeling, had a great sense of aesthetics and taste (one of his favorite words), honed over the years by his insatiable curiosity and strive for perfection. With that he made it his business to hire the best people possible and encourage and prod them until the final product was indeed revolutionary. Who else could have transformed a dying music industry with a single gadget (iPod), set the standard for mobile hardware for the next millennium (iPhone) and redefined we interact with media we consume (iPad)?
The scary answer is any one of us could have done it – if we take to heart the old hippy mantra echoed by Steve: Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish. Losing Steve is a day of great sadness on many levels, but more importantly its a day for reflection – what will you ask of yourself and your team today? Will be as hard on yourself as Steve has been? Or will you stay satisfied with mediocrity?
The greatest way to remember Steve is to start asking yourself the hard questions, push the limits of creativity and not stop until you know what your client / consumer wants before they know it themselves. Live with a passion. Be driven. Surround yourself with the best. Don’t compromise on quality and aim to revolutionize the world. That’s what Steve would have done – thats how he lived for 56 short years.
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Three apples that changed the world — the one that Adam/Eve ate, the one that fell on Newton’s head, and the won that Steve built. What a tremendous loss!
Owen D.
Just several days ago I was commenting on another article by Moish Soloway and saying how harsh Steve was as a CEO. Yes, he was tough to deal with at times and did not give some people a second chance… but this is a loss of a true visionary leader. Someone said there are cabs in New York running with “You Changed the World” signs. And this is so true.
Scott