In 2005, Steve Jobs gave the commencement speech to the graduating class of Stanford and in that speech Jobs said something that always resonated with me:

“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.”

Jobs was a person who lived in the present, following his passion for demystifying technology for the laymen. Passing away at a young age of 56, Jobs’ left his mark on the world leaving behind leadership wisdom, life lessons, and of course, a remarkable company. Now Jobs’ wisdom spans way beyond his years, and his way of thinking differently about conventional wisdom laid out the blueprint for success. The technology business, and all companies, have and could learn a few things from the late Steve Jobs.

Stay Focused

“Focusing is about saying no” source

Jobs believed that focusing is about figuring out what makes sense, and what doesn’t. There is only so much time in this world – you can’t do everything, and you can’t do everything well. Throughout the years, Apple has focused on building a product that makes the personal computer, well personal. The user experience has been at the heart of Jobs’ mission to demystify computing, allowing the user to focus on the task at hand and not struggling to get the task done. From creating the first consumer Graphical User Interface (GUI) that utilizes a mouse to interface with graphical representations of computer commands, to designing devices where form and function supersedes complexity, the focus has always been centred around the user. This type of focus and perfection has led to things like leaving copy-and-paste out of the first release of the iPhone, but when it was introduced, it just worked.

Change The Game

“If today were the last day of my life, ‘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.” source

Too many people are too afraid to change. They continue to live life playing by the rules of others, instead changing the rules and having others play by them. Jobs has structured a team of like-minded thinkers who don’t live by the rules carved out by industry. Instead, they have made necessary changes in order to succeed in the ever evolving technology business. The iPad is the perfect example of this. When finally introduced the iPad was met with mixed reviews. Some believed there was no place for tablet computing (basing this on past experience), and others felt it was a game changer. Certainly, Microsoft’s earlier attempts at tablets failed, and Apple’s first attempt with the Newton was met with a lukewarm response. When changing the game there is always a chance you could fail, but as seen with the iPad, persistence is key in order for triumph to be met.

Stand Firm

“A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” source

Apple isn’t a typical company and as such doesn’t conduct consumer research in the typical fashion, if at all. Many companies “listen” to their customers before building a product, but this doesn’t always lead to an end product consumers desire. Steve Jobs was the type of person who was intuitive, knowing what the customer wanted before the customer could even describe exactly what it is they were looking for. In this light, Jobs structured Apple to design by the idea, and not by committee – making sure the idea was not diluted by politics. Jobs has never been the one to follow the crowd, ignoring naysayers trying to steer Apple in a different direction. Instead Jobs stayed the course. The iPad is at the pinnacle of this philosophy, introducing a product that people thought they didn’t need, only for people to covet the same product months down the road. Even the iPhone’s flare was disregarded by other tech companies, to their detriment, having only to build a device down the road in the iPhone’s image. Jobs said it best:

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.” source

Wrap Up One More Thing…

Apple has always been known for its secrecy, and I think, a little secrecy wouldn’t kill anybody. Too many times we’re impatient, ready to jump the gun and announce our creations before it’s ready for prime time. Jobs was always patient in unveiling his creations, which is just as much part of the experience as the creation itself. There was always a card up his sleeve, something you weren’t expecting, and this type of showmanship adds to the desire of the Apple’s slew of products. Secrecy doesn’t only add to the experience, but it also creates focus. Apple focuses on creating the best product, making sure everything is perfect down to the last pixel.

Jobs left this world early, but his determination, focus, and belief left a mindset that all of us could learn from. A world with nothing to lose leaves us at the bottom, with no where to go but up.