Of Steve Jobs
Today Steve Jobs left the world. He was 56.“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”I’m having a little reminisce.Apple has been a part of my world since 1977. I cut my teeth on Apple IIs. Pulling them apart, programming, gaming, learning.I remember spending hours in the local store that stocked Apple hardware. I bought and pored over Apple-centric magazines. Reading every article, every advertisement.I built friendships with others who were as in love with Apple as I was.I remember the Lisa being released. Fabulously expensive and ground-breaking.And then the Mac arrived. Oh my GOD. Revolution.It changed everything for me. I could no longer understand why people would accept mediocrity in their computing experience.Fanboy? Perhaps. But for me, it’s having products that work for me. And look good doing it.“It’s not about pop culture, and it’s not about fooling people, and it’s not about convincing people that they want something they don’t. We figure out what we want. And I think we’re pretty good at having the right discipline to think through whether a lot of other people are going to want it, too. That’s what we get paid to do. We just want to make great products.”And they really do.Apple has been able to fundamentally change the way things are done in Tech. They look at markets and ask “How can this be done better?”It meant that when I was actively selling Apple product, it was always exciting. It meant that new market opportunities continually opened up with Apple at the core.As a result of being in the Apple sphere, I have been to annual MacWorld trade shows and attended Keynotes. I have built friendships that span the globe. I have met creatives and artists. I’ve met and chatted to single-digit Apple Employees. I’ve met and chatted and been inspired by Guy Kawasaki, amongst others.I was there when Steve wasn’t a part of Apple. The ‘dark period’. The beige box period. When the design ethos wasn’t alive. His work at NeXt and Pixar should also be noted. His return to Apple was salvation for the company.Steve’s passing has left a void. He is absolutely gone too soon. I hope that his spirit lives on.I do, and shall continue, try to Think Different.“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”Thank you Steve. May you rest in peace.