My Requiem For Steve Jobs
Not many people know this, in fact no one else knows this but me. The first time I clicked a mouse or typed a letter on a computer, was on an Apple Macintosh. The year was 1992 and my parents had sent to me to a summer class in my native country of Antigua to learn how to use a computer. I was 6 years old at the time, and now the only thing I can recall is Reading Rabbit, a day I clicked on the colorful Apple icon in the top left of the menu, and the class I missed in which we learned to cut and paste. It wasn't until the passing of Steve Jobs that this long forgotten memory came rushing back vividly.
Despite my early interaction, the first computer I would own was a Packard Bell running Windows 95 that my father would purchase for me in the spring of 1997. Ever since then I've been a PC, and still quite proud to admit that I am. However, I have always been a secret admirer and closet fan boy of Apple and its flawless execution of innovation. To this day, the biggest Mac in my life has been my friend and business partner Kyle Hurst. He was probably the first person I knew who owned a Mac, and still the only person I know who lives and views technology through a prism so very deeply influenced by Apple.
As a result of his passion for Apple and its products, I've had to watch my fair share of Keynotes, hear him elate about each iOS release and moan about missing his iPhone whenever he finds himself on a different mobile platform. Me on the other hand, I'm a reluctant hold out. I advocate to my friends and clients that they go the way of Apple products, despite an iPod being my only claim to Apple's influence. You can say that I haven't quite bought into the hype.
As an entrepreneur, what has always been intriguing to me is watching the face of the company, Steve Jobs. How clearly he communicates, how calculated his every move and how deeply he personifies the brand that everyone has come to love and respect. The more I've learned of Steve, Apple, Pixar and his other creations, the more I respect his genius and his creativity. Steve understood better than anyone that computing had to be personal. He understood how important it was for Apple's products to tap into the individuality which so boldly embodies the American dream. The success that Apple has enjoyed, would simply have not been the same without his vision, clarity of purpose, and commitment to excellence.
In watching the commencement address that he gave to Stanford University graduates in 2005, I see a man who lived by the wisdom that he imparted. It is undeniable that Steve was motivated by the desire to extract the most he could out of life before his inevitable demise. I found it poetic that he should pass the day after Apple unveiled the iPhone 4GS. Gone too soon at the age of 56, his legacy and impact will continue to shape the world, even as the man himself is no longer with us.
Thank you Steve, for all that you've changed not only in technology, but also the world. Your journey was not in vain, nor did it only serve your personal interest. Your journey has and will continue to inspire humanity to find our fullest expression of self by applying our talents to the service of others. Rest in peace.