By: Kellie Mazur, Administrative Assistant
Steve Jobs gave a commencement address to Stanford's Class of 2005. Steve advised the students to do what they love, and to follow their hearts and intuition. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life,” Steve explained to the audience that morning. “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.”
He was a strong believer in the human spirit. He urged the undergraduates, and all of us who watched the speech on YouTube, to stay foolish and hungry and to be true to ourselves.
Two weeks ago I bought an Apple computer. It was pricey, but I saved up for weeks. I work on computers all day, but this one would be my own personal computer, a concept that Steve helped invent. I've had computers before, but this is the first one I've purchased with money I've earned -- from jobs that I enjoy and that have become part of who I am.
I realized today that both my buying the computer, and also the computer I bought are part of Steve's vision and legacy. More than anyone, Steve made technology personal. We thought a fitting tribute to him would be a compilation of personal reactions from our leaders, tech writers and Travers Collins associates.
President Obama: "The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented."
Jordan Robertson, tech writer for the Huffington Post: "Steve Jobs saw the future and led the world to it. He moved technology from garages to pockets, took entertainment from discs to bytes and turned gadgets into extensions of the people who use them."
Farhad Manjoo, tech writer for Slate Magazine: "I’ve read pretty much everything written about him, and spoken to many people who’ve worked with him. Still, he’s always been a mystery to me. I’ve never been able to understand just why he was at good at spotting and creating the best things in tech."
Mike McDougall, partner at McDougall Travers Collins: “About a year ago, I suddenly realized that I’d “gone Apple” without really knowing it, accumulating an iPod, iPod Nano, iPod Touch and an iPad. Steve’s brilliance came from showing us a better way – to play music, to read a book, to go online, to call a friend. You could do all of that before, but he transformed completing a simple activity into a true experience. Like Walt Disney, Steve Jobs created more than products; he created a culture and movement."
Alyssa Mayer, interactive strategist at Travers Collins: "There has always been something about Apple products for me. Most people think their products are sleek, cool and innovative. These are great adjectives for Apple but what set them apart to me is that Apple is intuitive. Their products, whether it be the ipod, macbook, iphone, or ipad anticipate what I need as a user, before I even ask. So for me Apple is about making my life easier for everything, from music to communicating."
Jeff Bucki, senior copywriter at Travers Collins: "Apple is one of the great brand success stories of all time. People are unusually passionate about the company’s products. I’m sure that there will be college courses taught some day on the success of Apple, if they aren’t already."
Steve Jobs passed away yesterday. He was 56. #thankyousteve.
