56 years ago, a childless married couple in the US received a phone call.
“We’ve got a baby here, a boy, for adoption. Do you want him?”
That baby changed and enchanted our world.
Steve Jobs (56) became the genius of Apple.
Stay hungry. Stay foolish.
Yesterday, computers all over the world have been dressed in black.
A brief, thin and mortifying last E-Mail:
I have always said if thereever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.
The iGod left the stage – Brain, Heart and Vision of the iPod, the iPhone, iBooks, iMacs and iPads.
The uber-Boss sits down at the management board table.
But why that?
The ascetic, that only used to war black turtlenecks combined with jeans and sneakers, is fatally ill:
- pancreatic cancer (at the age of 49)
- liver transplant (at the age of 54)
Just skin and bones, 3 times at the hospital, too weak for the leviathan Apple.
He’s going for a walk at the top of the hill.
- For one day, Apple was the world’s most valuable company (next to Exxon-Mobil Oil) – 331 billions.
- quarterly profit: 5,2 billions.
- in the past 8 years Apple’s stock value rose 33-ish
Flashback
1976 – 35 years ago: Steve Jobs started in a garage at the age of 20. With beard, fuzzy-head and home “Woz”. 1st computer for 666,66 Dollar.
Steve and "Woz"
His secret?
“Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”
His top 3 stories:
- He left college because it was to expensive. He slept on the ground. Collecting returnable bottles for being able to buy food. But: He studied what he loved: Calligraphy! Design!
“So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” - At the age of 30 Apple was worth 30 Billions – and he got canned:
“The best thing that ever could happen to me! I started all over. Founded a family (3 kids) and Pixar (“Toy Story” etc.)!” - Death as drive:
“I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my lift, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something”
