Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

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As is the case with virtually everyone else our age, we owe a lot to Steve Jobs. While most tech discussions on this website involve me talking about how Android phones are better than the iPhone (they still are), there is no denying the massive influence that Steve Jobs had on our lives and the truly revolutionary nature of some of his most famous creations (think of music before iTunes and the iPod, phones before the iPhone).

Everywhere you look for the next couple days you’ll see something along the lines of how big of a impact his life had on ours, how he made the internet available and computing personal, etc. While these statements are all very true, it’s not really my style to sit here and say what everyone else is already saying, so this is going to be short and to the point.

Jobs’ life was truly inspirational. He devoted himself to doing what he loved, making money was not even a concern. Yes, he did make a lot of money, but don’t forget he started out building computers in his garage, and took a salary of $1/year, instead opting to stake his career on his company’s success. That’s probably the most important lesson people our age can take away from Steve Jobs’ life, especially in today’s economy and job market. Too many people are too concerned with making money and neglecting to do what they truly love. If there’s one thing he can teach us, it’s this: Do what you love. If you fail, try again. Eventually, it will pay off (both figuratively and literally).

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite Steve Jobs quotes:

“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.”

Rest In Peace, Steve.

-Mercho

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