Steve Jobs: My Tribute to A Visionary, Creative Genius and Life-Changing Entrepreneur!

Indeed, it's no longer news that Steve Jobs, Apple's iconic co-founder and former CEO, left us for the great beyond a couple of days (5th October) ago! Like every man or woman who has touched the human race with good, the news of his death has gone round the world in a matter of minutes after it became public.

Announcing this sad news, Apple’s official website puts it this way:

“Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”

When I first heard the news I thought of doing a post to give my condolences but then when I discovered that many other bloggers were already out there writing one thing or the other about the passing on of this great man who has impacted our generation positively, I had to rethink the line my tribute. And so in this post I don’t just want to say what a great man Steve Jobs had been but, to give you an angle of this man's life that can really inspire you to be better in your entrepreneurial pursuits. This is in line with the purpose of this blog which is to inspire and empower you with the right information.

Jobs’ Early Life: You Can Re-Write Your History!

From what I’ve read about Steve Jobs’ early life, I can confidently say no matter what your past has been you can re-write your history and make an indelible impact on the world.

Born on February 24, 1955, Jobs co-founded Apple in 1976 alongside Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, who is not as popular as the other two. The company, founded to sell the Apple I personal computer, was later to expand its reach into software and eventually mobile technology of which the iPhone and iPad are the most revolutionary.  (Ironically, Steve Jobs passed on just a day after Apple announced their newest addition to the apple family, the iPhone 5, the highly anticipated “Let's Talk iPhone”)

In the 2011 release of the world’s richest individuals by Forbes, Jobs is estimated to be a net worth of $8.3 billion, placing him as the 110th richest person in the world. Note however that if Jobs hadn't sold his shares when he left Apple in 1985 (he later returned in 1996), he would be the world's fifth richest individual!

But the journey has not always been a smooth one. Jobs early life is one that would have pushed many into the wrong type of life.  Shortly after his birth Jobs was adopted by a California couple named Clara and Paul Jobs and never knew his biological parents until later in life.

Jobs never graduated from college as he had to drop out of Reed College where he enrolled in 1972 due to the financial burden the private school's steep tuition placed on his parents. In his own words to the students of Stanford University in 2005 (please watch the video below), his appearance at that ceremony was his closest he has ever been to a college graduation!

On his time at Reed College, Jobs said:

“It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5 cent deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the seven miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple.”

But from that background Jobs rose to become an icon in our world! Indeed, you can re-write your history.

Steve Jobs: An Inspirational and Innovative Entrepreneur

Indeed, we are all here with own purpose and agenda. But if, by the time you leave this world, your footprint on the sand of time cannot stand the test of time, your purpose and agenda would have amounted to nothing. And we can say with all certainty that Steve Jobs did not just came, saw and conquer but that he has left an indelible print on the sand of time. As an innovator, a leader and an entrepreneur, Jobs knew very well what he wanted.

The following are some of his quotes which I believe will better help you understand what type of entrepreneur he was. I do hope these quotes will inspire you.

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully.”

“Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

“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.”

Oh what words of wisdom from the lips of a great man!

But if you think Steve Jobs has left us a legacy only in the world of technology and computers you’re definitely wrong.  What is it that you’re pursuing as an online entrepreneur? Oh, no doubt about it, you want the fame and the money. But if that is just what you are after, hear what Jobs has to say about making money.

“I was worth about over a million dollars when I was 23 and over 10 million dollars when I was 24 and over a hundred million dollars when I was 25, and it wasn't that important because I never did it for the money.”

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me… Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful… that's what matters to me.”

“Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles.”

“There's nothing that makes my day more than getting an email from some random person in the universe who just bought an iPad over in the U.K. and tells me the story about how it's the coolest product they've ever brought home in their lives. That's what keeps me going. It's what kept me five years ago; it's what kept me going 10 years ago when the doors were almost closed. And it's what will keep me going five years from now whatever happens. (Jobs said this in 2010 and it did keep him going until he left the stage two days ago!)”

Steve Jobs on Turning Misfortunes into Opportunities

On October 5th the day Jobs bowed out of the stage of life, I did a post on how, as internet entrepreneurs, we can turn the woes of the economic crunch into an opportunity of making money online. The truth is, what most times may seem to be bad happenings are indeed nature’s way of guiding us into new opportunities. Steve Jobs understood this very well. Hear him:

“I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”

Could that be speaking to you? What are you going through right now in the midst of the suffering economy? Is your internet marketing business facing some unpleasant experiences? Maybe life is only saying you need to begin again in some areas. Instead of crowding your mind with the heaviness of the problems, free up your mind, you may just enter the most creative periods of your life!

And finally, the world may be mourning this genius but,

Steve Jobs Has A Profound Understanding Of What Death Is:

“Death is the destination we all share; no one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be because death is very likely the single best invention of life.”

What, single best invention of life? Indeed, Jobs was an inventor both in life and in death!

As we say adieu to a great man who left the world better than what he met it, I do hope this tribute to Steve Jobs will inspire you to be the very best in your field. As a blogger and entrepreneur, be determined to add value to the blogosphere. Impact the live of those who come in contact with you, enliven with your content, inspire no matter what you do and, because “death is very likely the single best invention of life,” others will one day celebrate you when you leave the stage!

In closing, let me end this tribute with Jobs’ own words in his famous 2005 commencement speech to the students of Stanford University. Watch the video below for the whole gist and get more inspiration from this innovative inventor and inspiring entrepreneur of our time.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Here’s the full speech:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc?rel=0]

 

Over to you: Share with your thoughts about this great man of our time. Post your comments below with special reference to what areas Steve Jobs has impacted your life. And I'll appreciate it if you'll promote this article by sharing it with your friends.

18 Comments
  1. He’s trend setter of 21st century and left the work with huge shock and awe.

    • @Aaron,

      You can say that again Aaron. He was indeed a man who came before his time and he made us live our tomorrow, today! Most times I wonder why men like these always bow out too soon. It does appear that they have a mandate to revolutionize our lives and once they have done that, they return home before we can truly appreciate them!

  2. May his soul rest in peace. He is truly an example how a man should be and how to fight to live the life with limited span of life time.

    • @Rammesh,

      I say a big AMEN to that! Life indeed is short and Jobs played his part for the betterment of humanity and now he must rest in peace!

  3. Its kind of sad to hear that the famous inventor of apple and MAC is gone, but he will still remains in our heart, specially when we bought one of his latest invention. we will still remember him, rest in peace Steve Jobs.

    • @Kate Brown Wilson,

      Definitely, Steve Jobs is one man who the world will continue to remember years to come. We’ll continue to carry his memory in our pockets, handbags; on our desktops, in the office, homes and just every where. Indeed we can say rest in peace, Steve Jobs!

  4. For me Steve Jobs is one of the greatest man that ever lived the earth. His legacy will be remember from generations to generations.

    • @Julie Hayes,

      Few of his type has really worked this earth. He took us from where we were and brought us to a place where the world is indeed better. He was a visionary! Let’s continue to remember him.

  5. I was shocked when I heard the news. He was a great man who was happy to discover new things and surprise people. The world has lost the greatest person ever.

    • @DiNaRa,

      I actually believe his is one of those that the creator of all things has sent to help the world move forward. He succeeded in playing his part. We too can take a cue from people like him so that one day when we leave the scene others will say, that was a great woman/man!

  6. Hi, Chadrack!
    Too pity that Steve Jobs died, he was too young. We will always remember him as a first class marketer, a very clever person and definitely someone capable of doing quality business. In fact, he is a synonymy for making good business. Now his heritage is left behind and we can only give our best to understand his vision and thus learn something from this great, successful person as he was.

    • @Kristina L.,

      Indeed there is much for us to learn from him. However, there is one thing I will want to point out here, nobody dies too young! If you indeed watched the video you’ll understand that Jobs had a philosophy which he refered in that video. He said before he did anything he always asked himself if what he going to do will be of any usefulness knowing that he had a short time to live! I think we should have this mind also that life is not forever. We have just a short time and the more reason that we don’t know how short that time is, we must use every opportunity to the greatest good.

  7. Hi there, Chadrack. Thanks for sharing this nice tribute to Mr. Steve. It was such a surprising news to be heard when I just woke up when I heard that he’s passed away already. He’s such a genius, I’m sure and believe of that. And to tell you the truth, I don’t think Apple will be as succeed as in Jobs’ period. Well let’s hope Mr. Cook can do his job well.

    • @Andrew Walker,

      Must apologize that I’m replying to this very late but as they say, it’s better late than never!

      Any way, we must understand that all of us can never be the same. Jobs came, did his part and is now gone. I don’t believe it when people say the next person should step into the shoes of the one who has gone before him. Of course, I know people are going to judge Mr. Cook by the achievements of Mr. Jobs. But that shouldn’t be.

      Mr. Cook may decide to choose his own direction which is not the one that Jobs followed. All we have to do is support him whichever direction he choose to go. Of course, we expect that he will do much much that Jobs did whatever the direction he decided to face!

      Thanks for the comment.

  8. To be perfectly honest I am not much of an Apple guy. I have always been more of a PC guy. Yet, when I heard the news of Steve’s death, my heart sank. It is really weird though. Normally when I hear about someone famous dying, I really don’t feel much (sad but true). This one was different though. I felt really sad for a while.

    I guess it was because even though I have never been a Mac guy, I still somehow felt connected to him. Maybe it was because he was such a brilliant business man and I respected him a great deal for that.

    Few people get to impact as many lives as Steve Jobs did in one lifetime.

    • @Ted,

      You have put it just the way it is. It is who you are that will determine what me will say after you’re gone. For someone who saw beyond the present as far as our today technology is concerned, Jobs was a heaven sent angel to our world!

  9. i noticed one thing that he never changes his mind. he achieve what he wants to achieve. he is really a great inspiring personality for all of us.

    • @reeha,

      Yeh, he never changed his mind because he knew very well what he wanted. Just like Edison and the like, he will not turn around because of difficulties but push on until the aim is realized!

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