★ Steve.

Meeting Steve Jobs

“Letter from Steve Jobs”

To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I’d like to start with the selfish letter of how Steve has altered my life. Please skip ahead if you’d like.

“Let me get that for you”, he uttered in passing as his focus was already out into the courtyard. I spoke, “Thanks Steve.” as we parted ways. I don’t think he knew or cared to know what I had given to him as in my life or what I gave to Apple. Through it all, Apple has given me far more than I’ve given it.

I was at Apple as an employee when Steve held the door for me. He’s held a door for me twice but probably doesn’t remember. I remember. I remember reading about and watching documentaries about Steve’s childhood and the creation of Apple. I remember being angry when I read about the ordeal many years ago when Apple fired him and pushed him out of the company he created. I remember being joyous when, as a PC user with a few old Macs in my closet, I heard that Steve was made Interim CEO “iCEO” in the late 90s. I remember started my blog out of the love for Macintosh, I spent hours talking about Macs on forums, at user groups and on my blog. I remember podcasting and blogging and speaking at conferences about Macs. I took a job driving a tractor trailer just so I could have flexible hours to write about Apple breaking news. I’ve spent over 200 hours of my life waiting in line for a product release, store opening or Steve Jobs presentation. I’ve frozen my ass off outside of conference centers, Apple’s town hall and dozens of stores around the world to experience what Steve touched and what he helped create. My love of Apple took me to Macworld each and every year and my experiences at Macworld lead me to a job running a retail store and the excitement and drive to move to San Francisco and dive head first into the world of technology. I took pilgrimages to Apple HQ with other fans to buy shirts and pose by the signs and I did all I could even as a 15 year old to get Mac users together and show our appreciation for this platform. I’ve spent over $100,000 on Apple gear. I just confirmed it on Mint.com.

Finally, I had the privilage of shaking Steve’s hand in 2004 following a quite boring keynote where he demoed iLife and released the iPod mini.

Non-Believers may look at me as the perfect Apple Consumer. I’m the guy that waits longingly for the latest gadget and spends money instantly to acquire it. I make trips just to see an old guy speak and I make huge life decisions based on the notion that I may reach some heavenly place in my life by living the Apple Life. The truth is, I was a kid from Florida with a shitty high school GPA and a knack for taking apart PCs and now I’m a global project manager for a huge company that is often compared to Apple in our design. My life has been shaped by the pursuit of getting close to Apple and the person most responsible for inspiring my decisions has been Steve.

——

To the world, Steve has broken down walls that we never dreamed were possible to demolish. Having been an employee of small non-tech companies, large tech companies and tech startups, I’ve seen the walls and experienced them. I have seen, first hand, the absolute brokenness of business as usual. I’ve experienced the notion that we do things because they’ve always been this way and I know first-hand that rarely is there a person who has the courage and the brilliance to do things differently.

“Think Different” may have been the brainchild of Apple’s Advertising Agency (TBWA/Chiat/Day), but it continues to be an inspiring slogan for the world. The notion that you can think differently seems so obvious but, analyzing the decisions of anyone that competes with Apple reveals that only Apple is Apple. Steve and his associates have said some brilliant and remarkably simple things in regards to software, hardware and mobile. They make fun of the other guys while offering something drastically better. You have to pay extra for better but the experience is far beyond what any one else could envision in their wildest dreams.

“Steve is not dead!” many people will exclaim and “he’s remaining as chairman of the board” but I understand things will never be the same as they were. The management and team of Apple employees around the world has been groomed for this. They’re ready and will continue to change the world. Steve, as CEO was always more hands on than he needed to be. Can he or will he truly take a step back and enjoy the rest of his life and only show up for board meetings? I know this is not the last time we will hear from him and I understand that he is not dead but, the impact he has made on Apple and on the lives of each member of the Apple Community will continue to change very little. We’ve had the best of Steve and this is when things change. The Apple we know won’t change very much but, it will suffer in a different way. Apple will continue to change the world but, in a slightly lesser way than it would have had Steve remained as CEO.

I have never, in my generation seen someone who has contributed so much and in such a disruptive way. Steve Jobs gave us Macintosh and Lisa and the original Apple. He gave us RenderMan which powers Pixar and Pixar has given us so many memories and happy moments. He created NeXT which powers today’s Macintosh, iPad, iPhone and AppleTV. He then created iPod and an array of devices that completely overtook the growing digital music industry. He then single-handedly helped to move the world away from physical media and onto iTunes where we purchase music, movies, tv shows, books and applications. Steve didn’t rest and made crucial choices to move us to an entirely new framework from OS 9 to OS X  and then, moved us to Intel only 5 years later and then told developers, you should make mobile apps, now upscale them for the iPhone 4 retina display and re-write them for iPad and trust us to sell your apps for you on mobile and desktop operating systems. He made our devices sexier and skinnier and lighter and has created a billion dollar industry for accessory makers around these devices. Just 3 years after completely disrupting the mobile phone industry, we get the iPad which is a device that has helped HP come to a decision that they should stop making PCs and focus on enterprise. The iPad is destroying the PC industry and the tablet industry and every other industry. Apple made filmmaking, music production and photo editing accessible to anyone. They created the best office applications and best operating system and made computers FUN for all ages. Steve and company created the fastest growing and most profitable retail chain in the world where they make 10 times as much per square foot as any other retailer.

Yes, listing off the accomplishments of Apple while Steve was in charge took an entire paragraph. I left a lot of things out but I think you are all getting the point. I guess to say Steve Jobs was a smart guy with courage and might to back it up is an incredible understatement.

——

Steve Jobs will forever be to me the man who did things differently. He touched me and affected me not just through hardware and software but through inspiring me and many others to do things differently. He is someone who will grace our history books one day and I’m happy, at the age of 24 to be in a generation who was greatly influenced by the decisions made by one man. I’ve given Steve a lot of my money but he has given me things that are worth much more than money. He has given me the courage and bravery to think differently and break down walls.

Thanks Steve.

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