The world will never be the same again. The most public face of innovation of our times- Steve Jobs, is no more. This marks the end of an era and here is my tribute to the man who brought technology closer to human lives and made it what it should be- simple to use.
A lot has been said about Apple products. People never get tired swearing by it. But for Steve Jobs, the world, possibly, would have never known what Personal Computers could be or what a "click" could do. Or more recently what "pinching" on a screen could achieve. The list could go on for a long time, but Steve Jobs' biggest innovation, in my opinion, was bringing the best in class to ,well, the classes. Apple started off as a niche company, bringing the best products to only a few who could afford them. That was however till, iPhone changed all that. Arguably, the best smartphone built to date, it was as simple as it could get and was priced at a very affordable $200 (with contract of course). It brought Apple to everyday lives of many. People witnessed what best in class was and how technology could fit into their lives and their pockets. Aspirational didn't just remain that. It became experiential.
But this is not just about innovations. Steve Jobs and Apple wouldn't have been where they are today if it were just innovations that they brought to the lives of many. 3M brings about more innovations that touch more lives. What set Jobs apart has more to do with a powerful human emotion- he was inspirational. An adopted kid, he dropped out of college to create Apple. Thrown out of Apple, he came back and took Apple to greater heights. His trip to India which made him realize that Edison did more for the world than Karl Marx and his Indian spiritual guru, he spent the rest of his life doing more for the world around him. The commencement day address at Stanford (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA) remains an all time greatest inspirational speeches, where Jobs talks about keeping yourself hungry and foolish. A great inventor himself, he put death as the greatest invention of life that weeds out the old and makes way for the new. It was these very ideals that make the life and times of Steve Jobs inspirational to people from all walks of life- students to CEOs.
Today, as the world loses a great human being, even Steve Jobs' detractors can't hide their admiration. The world takes a bow.
R.I.P. Steve Jobs!!
A lot has been said about Apple products. People never get tired swearing by it. But for Steve Jobs, the world, possibly, would have never known what Personal Computers could be or what a "click" could do. Or more recently what "pinching" on a screen could achieve. The list could go on for a long time, but Steve Jobs' biggest innovation, in my opinion, was bringing the best in class to ,well, the classes. Apple started off as a niche company, bringing the best products to only a few who could afford them. That was however till, iPhone changed all that. Arguably, the best smartphone built to date, it was as simple as it could get and was priced at a very affordable $200 (with contract of course). It brought Apple to everyday lives of many. People witnessed what best in class was and how technology could fit into their lives and their pockets. Aspirational didn't just remain that. It became experiential.
But this is not just about innovations. Steve Jobs and Apple wouldn't have been where they are today if it were just innovations that they brought to the lives of many. 3M brings about more innovations that touch more lives. What set Jobs apart has more to do with a powerful human emotion- he was inspirational. An adopted kid, he dropped out of college to create Apple. Thrown out of Apple, he came back and took Apple to greater heights. His trip to India which made him realize that Edison did more for the world than Karl Marx and his Indian spiritual guru, he spent the rest of his life doing more for the world around him. The commencement day address at Stanford (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA) remains an all time greatest inspirational speeches, where Jobs talks about keeping yourself hungry and foolish. A great inventor himself, he put death as the greatest invention of life that weeds out the old and makes way for the new. It was these very ideals that make the life and times of Steve Jobs inspirational to people from all walks of life- students to CEOs.
Today, as the world loses a great human being, even Steve Jobs' detractors can't hide their admiration. The world takes a bow.
R.I.P. Steve Jobs!!
Well written!
ReplyDeleteRIP!