There’s going to be no shortage of words written about Steve Jobs. I never met him, never knew him. And yet…
I have to write something, more words to add to the rest. Because I’m compelled to.
Steve Jobs died today, at the age of 56. I could spend some of these words detailing what he did and who he was but you already know that stuff. I dare say, that if you are alive today and have had any exposure to technology or mass media, you know who he was. His impact and mark is obvious, historic and cannot be diminished.
I want to spend some words writing about what he believed in.
Like I stated, I never knew him, never met him… and yet, I did know him. His passion, his aesthetic, his values around life and design… He was a man who worked really really hard to made things better. He made technology accessible and by doing so he made people happy. His company was founded to makes products that lets people do more things in a better way. He was uncompromising, focused, and his vision changed the world. He looked at other company’s banal ideas and technology… and showed then how to make things elegant. How to do it right.
I understand such passion. I appreciate it. And… I share it. That’s what I do, too. My job is to design software and make it useable, useful, better. Will I have anywhere near the impact he had? Not a chance. But his passion is my passion and I will continue to work to make things better for people, one moment at a time.
I’ve seen Steve Jobs called “one of a kind.” We are ALL one of a kind, every one of us. We all have the same 24 hours in each day. The measure of a man is what you do with the time you have – the only currency we really have to spend. Steve Jobs made the most of his time, and I aspire to do the same in my own life. I think we all should.
When my Dad died last year, I said that “we are what we leave behind.” Dad left a mess. Steve Jobs leaves a legacy, one that time will not diminish. He used his time on this Earth well. Was he perfect? Of course not. No one is. But Steve Jobs left the world a better place than it was before he was here.
Thanks, Steve.