Preface: I'm sure people will misread this. It's simply an observation, a perspective, a point of view. Not a condemnation or even a critique. I'm not telling you how to feel or what you can, can't or shouldn't feel.
Steve Jobs died yesterday. He was not my dad. He was not a father figure. He was the the guy who somehow brought together all the people who could deliver his and their visions. He was Santa Steve, a visionary, or vision fairy, bringing the greatest gadgets. He saw what sets Apple apart from any other brand: the harmony needed between hardware and software. Whether he passes enough of that understanding on to those left in charge for Apple to continue to be as innovative remains to be seen. Is it sad that such a wonderful man passed away? Yes, undoubtedly. But let's not for a minute think that we knew this most private person. Let's not hide the fact that our collective sadness is somewhat misplaced and selfish on our parts. We are saddened by what we perceive to be our loss. Somewhere deep down inside on some level we feel that the future of our gadgets will suffer from this loss. Maybe they will and maybe they won't. But the truth is that we collectively didn't know Steve Jobs. Our condolences to his close friends, colleagues and family is what he and they deserve. But not a mourning. That is simply taking his death and trying to make it mean something personal to us, when it is very unlikely that it does.
One more thing...
The part of Steve that I will miss, the part of him that I connect to (as many of us do), is his keynotes. All the great MacWorlds, WWDCs, and as of late Apple Events, are the Steve Jobs that we did know. His flair for presentation, his genuine excitement, and the possibility of "One More Thing..."
Thank you Steve, for all of it.
Steve Jobs died yesterday. He was not my dad. He was not a father figure. He was the the guy who somehow brought together all the people who could deliver his and their visions. He was Santa Steve, a visionary, or vision fairy, bringing the greatest gadgets. He saw what sets Apple apart from any other brand: the harmony needed between hardware and software. Whether he passes enough of that understanding on to those left in charge for Apple to continue to be as innovative remains to be seen. Is it sad that such a wonderful man passed away? Yes, undoubtedly. But let's not for a minute think that we knew this most private person. Let's not hide the fact that our collective sadness is somewhat misplaced and selfish on our parts. We are saddened by what we perceive to be our loss. Somewhere deep down inside on some level we feel that the future of our gadgets will suffer from this loss. Maybe they will and maybe they won't. But the truth is that we collectively didn't know Steve Jobs. Our condolences to his close friends, colleagues and family is what he and they deserve. But not a mourning. That is simply taking his death and trying to make it mean something personal to us, when it is very unlikely that it does.
One more thing...
The part of Steve that I will miss, the part of him that I connect to (as many of us do), is his keynotes. All the great MacWorlds, WWDCs, and as of late Apple Events, are the Steve Jobs that we did know. His flair for presentation, his genuine excitement, and the possibility of "One More Thing..."
Thank you Steve, for all of it.