Steve Jobs

Young Steve Jobs

"Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me...Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful...That's what matters to me," Steve Jobs once said. Being a co-founder of Apple; one of the most lucrative multinational corporations in the world, brings great wealth, but Steve Jobs wasn't just in the business for the money. He had a knack for creating brilliant technology and he wouldn't rest until he had made a difference to the world. Born on February 24,1955 in San Francisco, Jobs showed an early interest in technology, attending lectures at Hewlett Packard in high school where he met his long-time partner and friend, Steve Wozniak. Jobs later attended a year of classes at Reed University but eventually dropped out to take a job at Atari in 1976.  Jobs and Wozniak worked together at Atari and after experimenting and taking advantage of Jobs' creative touch and Wozniak's technological expertise, the duo managed to sell a few computers and the legacy of Apple Computers was born. After the Apple II computer debuted in 1979, Jobs' dream company was finally flourishing. Steve Jobs was able to create this dream company because he is a hero; someone who has a desire to work for their dreams despite anything, utilize their unique ideas to set themselves apart from the rest, and to be determined to do so through it all. Steve Jobs' innovative thinking, impeccable work ethic, and incessant determination led his company to create some of the most revolutionary products in the world that have inspired and forever changed the way people interact with technology, making these qualities of Steve Jobs those of a true hero.

            Steve Jobs was blessed with an innovative mind that he used very shrewdly to mold and shape his company into the cutting-edge business it is today.  Throughout his career, Jobs never ceased providing consumers with the products they wanted in a user-friendly way. Just to touch the surface on some of his accomplishments, Jobs is credited with, "Igniting the personal computer revolution, introducing the mouse and graphical user interface, bringing portable music players to the masses, revolutionizing the sale of music, shepherding the age of computer animation, opening Apple stores, making personal computers stylish, launching the smartphone revolution, and kicking off the tablet trend," (Seitz).  Because of his outside-of-the-box thinking, Jobs was able to create products that changed the lives of many. Some would even say that Jobs' products are a way of life.  Apple's slogan, "Think different," really captures what Steve Jobs is all about.  He didn't want to be another cliche business man. He wanted to set the standard and be the best.  While Jobs and Wozniak were first attempting to start their business, "It was Wozniak who was more involved with building hardware, but Jobs saw the marketing potential of the group's inventions," (Quezzaire). From the beginning, Jobs knew that his company had great potential and it was his keen eye and skillful marketing tactics that guided his company along.  If Steve Jobs had anyone else's brain, Apple would not exist the way it does today because not just anyone cold recreate the masterful work that Jobs has left the world in awe of.  

Apple Product Line-Up

            Not only was Jobs an inspiration in the computer industry, his aptitude to constantly be working served as a catalyst for his ideas in more than just computers. Jobs went on to work with movie animation.  "Jobs ushered in the age of feature-length computer-animated movies by funding and leading Pixar Animation Studios. Jobs bought an unproven animation studio from George Lucas in 1986 and turned it into a maker of blockbuster films, starting with 'Toy Story' in 1995. The company was purchased in 2006 for $7.4 billion." ("Jobs, Steve"). The common man would only try to lead one multinational corporation at a time, but Jobs was different.  By not just working with Apple, and exploring with Pixar, Jobs was able to expand his horizons in other fields. His incredible work ethic is highly admired and is one that should be looked up to. And as if Pixar and Apple weren't enough, Steve Jobs also, "Started another firm, the NeXt Corporation, designing powerful workstation computers from the education market," ("Jobs, Steve").  There was a time when Apple started to lose financially and veer from its hopeful path; and at that time, Jobs decided to take up yet another project: NeXt. He viewed NeXt as an opportunity to explore new ideas and keep his legacy going, even if it wasn't through Apple. Jobs would surely never lose faith in Apple, but NeXt is just another reason why Steve Jobs is so hard-working. Steve Jobs attains an impenetrable work ethic  above the average person that has allowed him to be the innovative genius that he was by always working to improve his company and inspire the world. 

            Without Jobs' unyielding determination to make a difference and provide his customers with the best, despite hardships, Apple would not be the company it is today. During rough times when Apple was facing financial loss, Steve Jobs stepped down as CEO and it soon became apparent that the company needed him. "With Apple in serious trouble, it became clear to Jobs that he needed to make radical changes to the company, and consider new technologies to market. Turning away from its focus on perfecting hardware, Apple introduced its first and most famous software release in January 2001," (Quezzaire). Jobs was firmly determined to "reboot" his company; he wasn't going to watch his life dreams go down the drain. But Jobs did more than just reboot; he revitalized.  After taking his job back as CEO, Jobs' strong determination was apparent and he continued to produce more innovative products, and in turn, skyrocket-ed his company back to the top where it still stands today. This proves that with determination, one can achieve remarkable things.

Apple Logo

            Steve Jobs is an inspiration to all because of his hard work, his ingenious and intuitive mind, and his tenacious determination to change and inspire people to make something out of their lives. His innovative eye for technology and his indomitable work ethic allowed him to achieve his goals. Steve Jobs once stated, "We don't get a chance to do that many things, and everyone should be really excellent. Because this is our life." This quote exemplifies Jobs' main message and inspires people around the world- including myself, to make something great out of our lives. Jobs had a dream, and he took that dream and made it into a reality, portraying how it is possible that everyone has the capability to be great. Not everyone can revolutionize the way people interact with technology, but everyone can create something they truly want through rigorous work, selfless determination and a will to both be something different and create something different. 

Works Cited

"Jobs, Steve." Britannica Biographies (2011):

 Biography Reference Center. Web. 28 Mar. 2012.

Quezzaire, Pilar. "Steve Jobs." Steve Jobs (2011):

 Biography Reference Center. Web. 28 Mar. 2012.

Seitz, Patrick. "Top 10 Steve Jobs Achievements." News.investors.com.

 Investor's Business Daily, 10 June 2011. Web. 26 Mar. 2012.