Thursday, October 06, 2011
Posted by
JumpStart Team
Steve Jobs’ passing has touched the lives of many, just as he did in life. He was an entrepreneur, an IT visionary, and a perfectionist. He was many things to many different people. Here is what Steve Jobs meant to a few JumpStart team members:
He was an innovator.
Steve Jobs represents the best entrepreneur we are likely to witness in our lifetime. He was a brilliant innovator and business person willing to take huge risks to transform industries and the way people live.
--Ray Leach
He was a visionary.
No one can undermine the impact his vision and execution has had on the world. All of us have much to learn from Steve Jobs and the culture that he created at Apple. He encouraged entrepreneurs to “Think Different.”
--Shubs Sheth
He was a designer.
Everyone knows designers love Apple, but it’s not just the blind fanatic worship that some think. Steve got us. He knew what we wanted and he gave us what we needed. He brought simplicity and elegance to a function driven industry. He valued the beauty of form and completely revolutionized the way we think about user interaction. He believed that design could change the world and he showed us that he was right. I am a Mac and will always be proud of that.
--Meg Lalley
He was a leader.
As someone who worked at Apple for a few years, I’m asked often by friends how it became the most innovative company in the world. Though I worked at Apple, I was not in Jobs’ inner circle (not even close). But his fingerprints could be found at all levels of the business from its culture to the minute details of everyday execution. There are many takes on what Mr. Jobs did that was so special. My answer boils down to one word: courage. The phrase, “creative destruction” is often used when one company’s product overtakes the incumbent product of another. Upstart innovations kill the older, established predecessor…not Apple. Apple destroys and replaces its own dominant, profitable products every year (if not more frequently). This commitment translated into a challenging corporate culture within Apple. All of this requires courage, unique courage.
--Robert Hatta
He was an icon.
Steve was a true visionary who reshaped how we all use technology to the point where it’s inextricably weaved into our personal lives. From the iMac to the iPod, to the iPhone, to the iPad, he brought creative ideas to life. And let’s not forget Pixar: through his acquisition, turnaround, and leadership of Pixar, he reshaped the animation and movie industries. It seems that despite all the triumphs, he shunned the limelight, kept his private life private, and remained a humble family man. What a life and a legacy!
--Lee Poseidon
He was a catalyst.
Disney stated “It’s a small world” but Steve Jobs put the world at an entrepreneur’s fingertips. He allowed the small businesses to look and feel big to its competitors and suppliers. Steve Jobs gave entrepreneurs powerful tools in order to compete in any industry. He transformed the way information is stored and gave entrepreneurs the ability to get it in a more efficient manner so that they can make decisions and accomplish more in a shorter amount of time in which they can then enter the market quicker. Steve Jobs only saw possibilities.
--Ana Rosa Badillo
He was a revolutionary.
Steve Jobs was a pioneer, laying the foundation for the next generation of entrepreneurs and new ventures. He was committed to high standards and remained optimistic and steadfast in his convictions, even in the face of failures and naysayers.
--Leah Yomtovian Roush
He was an entrepreneur.
I’ve asked myself, “What if Steve Jobs had chosen to start Apple here, in Northeast Ohio? What might Northeast Ohio’s economy look like today?” And while nobody else is Steve Jobs, today we do have hundreds of brilliant entrepreneurs in the region, several of whom might be starting what will be the next company with the vision, market power, culture, and success of Apple. I look forward to seeing our own success stories.
--Cathy Belk