Death is likely the single best invention of life: Steve Jobs

As Steve Jobs announces his retirement from Apple, it’s time to look back and see what made him — and Apple – different. Fundamentally, he thought differently. He gave the world a hint of this when Apple launched the Macintosh in 1984, with a film that dominated the Superbowl. Take a look at the Television Commercial: But the 1997 Apple tribute to “the crazy ones” was gave us an additional insight into another crazy one, Steve Jobs.

“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, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify and vilify them. About 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 crazy, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

[caption id=“attachment_69166” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“This 1977 file photo shows Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs as he introduces the new Apple II computer in Cupertino, Calif. Apple Inc. AP”] [/caption]             Here’s a look at the tribute: Jobs has made many speeches for many audiences, but this one at Stanford is a standout.

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. 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,” Jobs said at Stanford.

Some of you would have the time to read all the gems from Jobs, some may not. Here are some of the crazy ones from Jobs, quotes from the early 1980s till today. There’s a lot that today’s managers could learn from Jobs, whenever and in whatever context Jobs made the statements. “A lot of companies have chosen to downsize, and maybe that was the right thing for them. We chose a different path. Our belief was that if we kept putting great products in front of customers, they would continue to open their wallets.” “But innovation comes from people meeting up in the hallways or calling each other at 10:30 at night with a new idea, or because they realised something that shoots holes in how we’ve been thinking about a problem. It’s ad hoc meetings of six people called by someone who thinks he has figured out the coolest new thing ever and who wants to know what other people think of his idea.” “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.” “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” “It is piracy, not overt online music stores, which is our main competitor.” “Pretty much, Apple and Dell are the only ones in this industry making money. They make it by being Wal-Mart. We make it by innovation.” “Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.” “To turn really interesting ideas and fledgling technologies into a company that can continue to innovate for years, it requires a lot of disciplines.” “You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.” “Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.” “No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet 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.” “It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”