adminof the Apple Computers Steve Jobs had passed on after succumbing to cancer. He was 56.
It has been said that for one to be a successful entrepreneur, you must choose to do something you are passionate about and the results will be there for all to see.
If one is to look at some of the success stories involving entrepreneurs of note locally and abroad, the element of passion is unmistakable and the excellence is there to inspire others. This may sound as rhetoric but there are some life stories to emulate such as Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Strive Masiyiwa, Philip Chiyangwa et al, who all have one thing in common – determination and hunger to succeed and they have done it.
It is in this spirit (with credit to The Star and The Daily Mail) to one greatest entrepreneurs of our time who founded Apple Computers and built it into one of the world’s most valuable companies. I was in Mzansi when news about Jobs’ passing filtered through and even with the controversy surrounding the visa row with the Dalai Lama, his death appears to have stolen the headlines.
Even US President Barrack Obama was among the first to pay tribute to the innovative and visionary genius. Social networking sites were overwhelmed with tributes of this fine gentleman soon after Apple CEO Tim Cook announced his death last Thursday morning.
In his message to the man who is largely credited for creating the Macintosh, iPod, iTunes, iPhone and the iPad, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said: “Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you.”
Larry Page, co-founder and chief executive of Google wrote: “He was a great man with incredible achievements and amazing brilliance.”
From its inception, the rise of the Apple brand was intrinsically linked to Jobs and his passion drove him to keep on seeking for ways to enhance his product offering. During his time, Jobs left a legacy of teamwork and togetherness, while at the same time demanding nothing but the best.
His simplicity has been a hallmark of his lifestyle and is well known for his trade mark black mock turtle neck and jeans that became his defining outfit. It is said that he pulled out the iPod out of a jeans pocket at its launch in 2001.
What did this brilliant innovator have to say about himself?
“For the past 33 years I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself ‘if today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘no’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something,” he told students at Stanford University during a commemorative address.
“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart,” he said.
While the Apple brand may not be as popular in this part of the world, it has emerged as one of the most sought after and respected brands especially in the United States.
Microsoft’s Bill Gates called Jobs the most inspiring person in the tech industry and President Obama held him up as the embodiment of the American dream.
“Steve was the best of the best. Like Mozart and Picasso, he may never be equaled,” said Marc Anderssen, a venture capitalist and co-founder of Netscape Communications.
One cannot help but admire the character of the man who was Steve Jobs. It’s harder to imagine a bigger success story than Jobs, but rejection, failure and bad fate were part and parcel of his life. Jobs was given
away at birth, driven out of Apple in the mid-1980s and struck with cancer when he finally regained control of the company. His obsession with precision was unmistakable and revelled in detail, which many a time irked everyone around him.
I am sure most of you will agree with me that he was truly a rare breed and may his dear soul rest in peace.
Online Reporter