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Steve Jobs' Commencement Speech

Drop out

I remember a poster on the wall in high school in 1989 or so that had Job's and Woz's bio's on it (along with Bill Gates). It mentioned that they both had dropped out of college.

That really stuck with me -- maybe that's why I never finished either. :)

As for the comments about tech jobs requiring a degree, in most cases, if you have experience, it trumps the lack of a degree. I'm a 14 year software engineer at a fortune 100 company in a lead position and I have about the equivelent of a college sophomore's credits. When I interview someone to work with us, it's all about what they've done and how well they handle the questions in the interview. The degree is a nice add-on, it shows you can take on tough goals and see them through, but it plays a very small part in the hiring process from what I've seen.

Word of advice for would-be programmers: From my experience (on both sides of the interview table), corporate HR departments may use your degree status to weed out resume's - it's always best to try to find the hiring manager and get your resume to their desk directly. Head hunters can be good at that, but I've not personally used one. I have been fortunate enough to have had a friend at the different companies I've worked at who knew the right person to get my resume too. (Insider's are awesome!)

Back on topic: I guess the two Steves are somewhat of personal heros for me in a wierd way in that they are examples of success without waiting for some college to hand them a piece of paper saying they were ready for it.
 
Beautiful speech... makes me wonder what in the heck I'm doing now, with 24 years old, that I didn't start something new! It's hard to remain in my chair working in a law office where you are just one more... Specially when I think that at my age he was working in a great company that he started in his own garage...

The world is sure different now, of course. But we always can start to think different and made great things.

Thanks, Steve. Strong words.
 
For the whole of that speech i was waiting for the:

"And as you start your new journey today, so does Apple. Today i have something very special, something very foolish, introducing the 2.3Ghz Centrino Powerbook. I have 500 ready to be distributed for you today."

Concluding with "lets start our new journey together".

Where was the keynote coverage?
 
runninmac said:
Wow Steve is amazing, I really wish I could have been there for it but then again i dont go to Stanford.
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haha I almost thought you were gonna say "Wow Steve is amazing, I really wish I could be him." but you didn't.

Yeah our graduation speaker (Minneapolis South High School 2005, I hope she reads this) was lame. She kept making bad jokes and talking about herself, and she wasn't important at all (the art director at Intermedia Arts?). Upon reading Jobs' speech I decided to claim it for myself instead of the wack one my high school gave me. I think it's ironic that Steve would be giving a famous (kind of?) graduation speech the same year I graduated. Of course... I graduated from high school, not college yet, but that's not what matters.
 
well,

there's nothing wrong with steve mentioning dropping out of college.

His point is that you have to follow what you really really love to do, there is much more value in such a message, than 'oo, don't drop out of college!'...
btw if they are graduating, you sure hope they do it because they love it, not for any society status or money... they lack motivation, and have a higher possibility for burnout ...

and i know, 'cause this year i'm graduating too, as a master of science in psychology (option industrial psychology) :D

there is no such course as 'how to make a succesful computer company', well if that's your love, do it.
 
Great philosophy on life. Even if he wasn't the CEO of 2 successful companies, no doubt he would've been happy and successful. Fortunately for us, his love just happens to be in computing and the few of us that want to "think different", can do so.

Mr Jobs, if you're reading this, can you make sure my mac Mini with a 2ghz pentium M is ready for X-mas. Thanks. :rolleyes:
 
m-dogg said:
interesting speech - very good read!

am I the only one that never knew he had been adopted?
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It seems that you are not alone. I wasn't aware that he was adopted either. His adoptive parents did a good job.
 
wdlove said:
It seems that you are not alone. I wasn't aware that he was adopted either. His adoptive parents did a good job.
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He is actually an adopted illegitimate child, too (as am I): His biological father is a man of Egyptian descent, and his wereabouts or name are unknown.
 
iGary said:
He is actually an adopted illegitimate child, too (as am I): His biological father is a man of Egyptian descent, and his wereabouts or name are unknown.
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Does he have a good relationship with his biological mother? I wonder when (if?) he contacted her or the other way around.

She, and his adopted parents, must be very proud.
 
njmac said:
Does he have a good relationship with his biological mother? I wonder when (if?) he contacted her or the other way around.
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If she knows who he is, but doesn't know him personally, I bet she's kicking herself for giving up a future billionaire son... :eek: :D
 
Good speech, was waiting for the 'and one more thing' quote but I guess this would have sounded a bit phoney given the context and the fact that 97% of those present do not use macs and wouldn't understand it.
 
Going through quite a hard time for myself (quitting a job, selling a house, moving 4 States away all of my family to place where I know no one, & trying to find another job) to pursue my dreams, I found this speech to be a great motivator!

Thanks Steve for the inspiration!
 
QFace said:
Steve's partner went to UC, Berkeley...
As a cal student, this is blasphemy!
Steve, this is unforgivable!
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....or instead of being a bitch about it you could have gone and watched anyways like I did... Then go dumpster diving and dorm raiding in a giant Budget Rental moving van stealing Stanford students unwanted stuff... And yes I am a Cal student aswell.
 
great speech

I love his quote "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." and the "Stay hungry. Stay foolish"

My company just relocated me and my family, I had to sell my house and buy a new one, his speech has given the hope I was looking for for following my gut feeling and relocate and to know that I did the right thing, because, he is right most of the times your best choices in life are the ones you make when you listen to that little voice inside you....

cheers

He is my hero
 
wow. great speech. really loved the bit about "and since windows just copied the mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them." god, what would gates have said if he gave the commencement speech? "the easiest way to get ahead is to copy others and call it innovative. pretend different. :D"
 
puckhead193 said:
Why did steve get fired from apple? :eek: :confused:
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Jobs attempted to get Sculley fired while Sculley was away on a business trip arranged just for that purpose. Sculley found out, brought the issue to the board and asked them to choose, and Sculley won.
 
iMeowbot said:
Jobs attempted to get Sculley fired while Sculley was away on a business trip arranged just for that purpose. Sculley found out, brought the issue to the board and asked them to choose, and Sculley won.
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interesting....
BTW i like your 'tar
 
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