Goodbye to a Visonary

Yesterday I found out about the death of Steve Jobs, while playing trivia. I kept seeing Steve Jobs on the screen. I first thought it was about the iPhone announcement on Tuesday, but when I read the screen it said “Apple confirms the death of Steve Jobs.” I will say I was shocked. I knew he had been battling cancer for years, and resigned from Apple (but remained on the board). I thought there would be a few years left and he would still be a force in Apple.

I think as a self proclaimed Apple Fan boy, that Apple as a company will be fine. I say this because I think Steve knew that his days were ending and he put in people who would carry on the legacy of Jobs at Apple. The culture of the company is set, and they have been very successful for 10 years. I know they will keep innovating and bringing us products that will revolutionize the way we conduct every day business.

Shortly after the death, statements came out from various people:

Bill Gates:

“I’m truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs’ death. Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work.

Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives.

The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come.

For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely.”

Mark Zuckerberg

Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you

President Obama

“Michelle and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was among the greatest of American innovators – brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.

By building one of the planet’s most successful companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity. By making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun. And by turning his talents to storytelling, he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups alike. Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last. Because he did, he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world.

The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Steve’s wife Laurene, his family, and all those who loved him.”

The one that got me was President Obama’s last sentence. How many out there actually learned on an iPhone, iPad or Mac?

Steve was one of the people I most admired. He brought his vision to life, and like it or not he changed the way we live in many ways. Time will tell what will happen to Apple but its going on to the next chapter

Timothy Goleman

Tim is the founder of Element33. A social media agency specializing in education, management and strategy for small businesses. He comes from a traditional marketing agency but has embraced all things digital. He considers himself a marketing nerd and believes that all marketing is tied together. This means no matter what silo you are in, social, email, seach, etc, changes in one will affect the other!

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