Steve Jobs Obituary

Steve Jobs was a man whom inspired the world. He died at the age of 56 due to a long battle against pancreatic cancer. In 2005, during a Stanford commencement address, Steve described how ‘the inevitability of death was a motivating force in his life’. Steve made an unprecedented impact on the worlds technology. In just over a decade, Steve was able to advance his company Apple in which he co-founded in 1976 from near bankruptcy to be the world’s second most valuable company.

A hero must possess curiosity, knowledge, and the desire to succeed (My Hero, 2017). A hero must strive to never let life’s struggles get in the way, and all these qualities were possessed by the remarkable Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs, the man who revolutionised the world of technology (My Hero, 2017). By surprise, a man who was given up for adoption at birth lead on to be the co-founder of Apple (My Hero, 2017). Around ten years ago there was no such thing as iPhones or iPads. There was no internet unless you sat by a computer, and apps weren’t known of (Rod Collins, 2017). A decade ago, society didn’t understand what it meant to be a part of a hyper connected world where we could become available to each other anytime, anywhere (Rod Collins, 2017).

Steve Jobs, was a man whom saw potential in what seemed to be impossible. Steve had a clear picture of the human potential that could be unleashed if he found a way to connect everyone on the planet, constantly. Jobs was most definitely a hero, although considered a flawed hero (Rod Collins, 2017). His intense passionate perfectionism made him a difficult person to work with, although he was always admired and loved (Rod Collins, 2017). Steve Jobs was considered a hero, not only to the people who worked for him but also the people whose lived were transformed by the product he developed.

Steve was a big believer in a great work culture. He knew that the product he was developing and creating was revolutionising the world of work by creating collaborative networks (Rod Collins, 2017). With Steve understanding that a truly great company is more a reflection of a great work culture than a great leader is a heroic attitude. He understood that great leaders come and go, however a great working culture withstands excellence through the generations (Rod Collins, 2017). Through recognising this it allowed Jobs to mark his legacy by designing the working culture he desired so his mark lead on.

A unique trait that was believed to be one of Steve’s best qualities was his unbelievable imagination. It is one thing to envision your company growing and expanding, however it’s another to envision that your company’s products and services will change the way society communicates, live and work (Ryan Himmel, 2013). He raised his company with the imagination that his products will change the world. His ability to develop and design technology products also ties in with his imagination (Ryan Himmel, 2013). Steve was extremely passionate and fearless. These qualities are considered heroic as he was able to push his company to the limits pushing aside the fact that many actions were controversial and risked the future of his company.

Steve once said “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” (HubSpot, 2019). Those are the words of a hero, a man with a desire to inspire.