Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs stepped aside as CEO of Apple Inc yesterday. With a short and simple letter, Jobs recommended that the company execute its’ succession plan (they did have one after all, it seems) and promote Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook to be the leader; meanwhile Jobs intends to stay engaged as Chairman of the Board and Apple employee.
As a person who has been an Apple enthusiast since the 80′s, and as one who has touted the company and its’ products since before Jobs’ return to Apple in ’97, I am very appreciative of this moment, and of Jobs’ profound impact on Apple and all that surrounds his presence there. Even as this change goes down, Apple has quite recently surpassed Exxon-Mobil as the largest (by stock value) company in the U.S. (amazingly, in open trading the day following the after-hours announcement, Apple’s stock is down only 1%, which parallels the Dow Jones average). Apple’s Macs are gaining market share even as traditional rivals (e.g., Microsoft Windows) loses market share, quarter after quarter. iPhones continue to shake up the Cellular telephone business, with rumors of the forthcoming “iPhone 5″ being released on 4 carriers before the end of the year. iPads have carved out a whole new “industry segment,” and as recently as last week, none other than Hewlett-Packard threw in the towel, opting to not try to compete with the iPad juggernaut. To say that Jobs is going out on the top of his game would be an understatement.
Even before these recent milestones of business success, Jobs has been one of my personal heroes. Underlying the facts and figures has been a consistent philosophy that resonates with me, and around which I have built Creative Goose: technology should be friendly, useful, innovative, and low stress. Technology should boost productivity, offer a fun and rewarding user experience, and even produce joyful emotions. Instead of being the realm of uber-geeks and gearheads, technology should be well-thought-out, designs should be impactful and inspired, and the “toys” should — as Steve has said — fill needs users didn’t even necessarily realize they had.
Years ago, Steve Jobs made an inspired speech at a Stanford commencement. In it, he revealed a kernel of truth that speaks to what he did, and how he lived. He told the graduating seniors,
“You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”
This resonated with me then, and I am reminded of it today. I have, since I was a child, believed that finding work that is fulfilling and inspiring and enjoyable would mean that “going to work” would not be a chore, but a delight. That being connected with what one does every day brings a spark, a relevance, to ones’ pursuits. Since before I was out of school myself, I always strove to find that, and I believe I have manifested that in the work I do today — work that, not surprisingly, is deeply involved with the technology that Steve’s Apple brought to the table: bringing that to you, the individuals and small business owners who are my customers.
I swore as a youth that I would not be “one of those people” who lived solely for their 3 weeks of vacation, resigned to a dreaded work plight the other 49 weeks of the year. I have been successful in that, and I seek to spread the joy I find in my work to the people I serve. I tip my hat to Steve Jobs for both his example, and the amazing tools, toys and technology his Apple has brought to the table. May we all continue to be thus inspired.
Passionate Steve Jobs
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