Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish – Thank you, Steve Jobs

I’m sitting in front of my Macbook, stunned, and still shocked by the sad news from Apple. Steve Jobs has left us physically, but his work and inspiration will always be with us. I sound clichéd, but you and I both know that for this man, this is very true.

The weird thing about influence is that you can get so affected and inspired even when you don’t get to see that person face-to-face. I always wanted to attend one of his keynotes to catch him live in action, and to feel his brilliance and passion for Apple, the company he started and worked so hard for. I guess I have missed my chance in this lifetime.

Fortunately, YouTube has thousands of videos of Steve Jobs’ keynotes and speeches. When I’m feeling down or jaded, one of my favorite sources of inspiration is to watch Jobs’ 2005 Stanford commencement address. To him, it’s just three stories from his life, but to many it’s three invaluable life lessons.

Jobs is perhaps the best salesman, designer, CEO, and visionary in the last decade. And… a great role model for many of us entrepreneurs. His vision spans far and wide, but when put into action, his products are designed in a simplistic and elegant manner. He found the right balance between art and technology, and created products that are simple to use for the many who celebrate his vision.

He is brilliant, a genius, but he also worked extremely hard to reach the goals he set. He is a perfectionist and in his own way influences people around the world to work hard to achieve their goals. Pity that I never had a chance to met him in person, but I’m feeling his influence just by watching his speech and reading his book, on the very devices he created for us, the MacBook and iPad (and, of course, the iPhone).

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

I graduated this year, but while at school I decided to start my own business and give up being a GPA go-getter. Sure, I had fear. My entrepreneurial instinct told me to do so and I did it. That was back in 2006, and it is the best decision that I have ever made. But it was Steve Jobs’ words that motivated me to push on; the phrase Stay hungry, stay foolish kept buzzing in my head as a gentle reminder to keep moving forward, seeking improvements, and not to settle in.

I’m staying hungry, staying foolish. And hopefully I can be part of a start-up community who will live on the culture and standards that Jobs has set for all entrepreneurs across the world. Rest in peace; and thank you, Mr. Jobs.