#557
Today, (5th October) on the 13th anniversary of Steve Jobs' passing, I find myself looking back on the profound impact he had on my life and the world at large. It feels like it was just yesterday—October 6th, 2011, at 5 AM in Bangalore—when my then 17-year-old son shook me awake, saying, "Dad, Steve Jobs is dead." While we knew his health had been declining, the finality of his death struck me like a personal loss, akin to the grief we feel when a family member passes. Even though I had never met Jobs, his death felt intimate, as if I had lost someone essential to my being.
In my personal pecking order, there’s God, my mother, and then Steve Jobs—such was his influence on my life. Strangely enough, at that time, I didn’t own an iPhone or iPad, nor had my son yet joined Apple in Cupertino. So what made Jobs such a towering figure for me? For starters, it was his resilience, his ability to bounce back stronger from failure. His life story embodied the idea that defeat was never an option, a lesson that I have internalized over the years.
Jobs’ obsession with details also struck a chord with me. He famously said that even if no one would ever see the inside of a product, it still needed to be perfect. That principle has resonated deeply with me in both my professional and personal life—never cut corners just because no one’s watching. His vision for innovation was unparalleled, as evidenced by the iconic iPod, which forever changed how we consume music. I still vividly remember buying my 80GB iPod (which now seems tiny in comparison to modern storage) during a transit at Bangkok airport. That little device motivated me to take up walking, a habit that has now spanned over 20 years and greatly improved my health. Ofcourse, there was smaller versions, which require syncing to ITunes with a cable, but I never felt that task teidious.
One of my proudest moments was gifting my son an iPhone 3GS for his academic achievements. For both of us, Apple products have symbolized not just innovation but the pursuit of excellence.
But Jobs wasn’t perfect—far from it. His rule-breaking ways, like changing cars every 90 days to avoid needing a license plate or parking in handicapped spots at Apple’s Infinite Loop headquarters, only added to his mystique. I recall hearing about these behaviors with both amusement and admiration for how he bent societal rules in pursuit of his own path.
He was also infamous for his intense arguments at work, often leaving his employees feeling crushed in a debate. Yet, after dismantling their confidence, he’d tell them they should have stood their ground. This was one of his most paradoxical traits—Jobs hated when people agreed with him too easily. It made him distrustful because he believed real innovation came from conflict and differing perspectives, not consensus.
On the personal front, his relationship with Bill Gates—a mix of rivalry and respect—stands as one of the great business sagas of our time. He was also deeply private, something not widely known. Despite his larger-than-life public persona, he fiercely guarded his personal life. I found it hard to accept, but Jobs disowned his first daughter, born out of wedlock, for years before finally acknowledging her. This flaw reminds us that he was, after all, human—brilliant, but flawed like the rest of us.
I remember the minutes after hearing of his death—I immediately went to Apple’s website, which had opened a portal for condolences. It felt like I had to say something, to express my sadness at this irreplaceable loss. Even now, more than a decade later, it feels like the world is missing something without him.
Jobs’ innovations—the iPod, iPad, iPhone, and more—were not just gadgets. They revolutionized the way we live and interact with technology. His phrase, "One more thing," is etched in the memories of millions as he revealed groundbreaking products that would shape the future.
Some people are taken from us too soon, like Jobs, Mozart, Karen Carpenter, and Dhirubhai Ambani. I sometimes wonder if they’ve gone on to build a better world with God, where their brilliance can continue to shine.
Karthik
5th October 2024. 5am.
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