Tonight, the news broke that Steve Jobs has died. There's a Google+ stream filled with commentary and stories about his life. Like many, I considered him a visionary, a genius, a maker.
Someone the business community -- and the business he built -- will miss greatly.
I looked for an official Apple company vision statement, and found this (unconfirmed) one:
To make a contribution to the world by making tools for the mind that advance humankind.
To which I would add:
And one more thing.
The official statement from Apple.
Here are a few select posts I wrote about his role in building Apple and the tools to trade that gave back strength, resilience, and endurance to the business:
ABC: How Apple Builds a Community
Do you need Trade Media for a Product Launch?
If you enjoyed this post from Conversation Agent, subscribe, share and like it. Sign up for my Premium Newsletter.
Everyone's heard of Jobs and his passion for what he produced. Surely he's not the only one. Where are the others?
Posted by: Bill Reith | October 07, 2011 at 12:07 PM
They're everywhere, Bill. In many cases, people are not prepared to recognize them. I am uber passionate about my work and what I produce. I've helped build growth and equity in companies. I built a community from scratch before it was popular. Many of the people I've helped have gone on to do amazing things. And I am planning more things to help the business community in the future.
Let's not forget he was also overlooked, in fact even scorned, for many years. Hindsight is 20/20 and certainly my experience confirms that people are missed when they are no longer there. Which is to say *taking for granted* what is there instead of appreciating it and supporting it.
Posted by: Valeria Maltoni | October 07, 2011 at 12:14 PM
I hesitate when I say this, because it could so very easily become a gimmicky thing, but I wish that we would, routinely, name stadiums and thoroughfares after creative, insightful people instead of banks and local politicians.
Me? I'd be lucky to have my name on the little plot of land where the Dumpster sits behind the McDonalds!(g)
Posted by: Bill Reith | October 07, 2011 at 04:05 PM
the world is currently organized around money. To me, money is the least tradeable and least differentiated asset.
Thinking about what I learned in school, studying the classics, was admiring the philosophers, the teachers, artists, and thinkers. Yes, politicians figured out early on that they could buy propaganda by hiring the literates to their court...
Some corporations may put their names to stadiums, it doesn't make their name enduring. The qualities that make a name enduring create an emotional connection - and for that one, things other than plaques matter.
Posted by: Valeria Maltoni | October 07, 2011 at 04:23 PM