How Steve Jobs Changed Technology, Business, and the World

The overwhelming sentiment I am noticing today is that so many people feel a profound sense of loss for someone they have never met. Steve Jobs changed everything!

How many business leaders in history can we truly say changed the world? Not only did he revolutionize personal computing, mobile phones, the music industry, and the way people read, play and work, he also inspired a generation of innovators and entrepreneurs.

I recently read Michael Moritz’s book, Return to the Little Kingdom, about the beginnings of Apple and its first billion. Jobs is a truly fascinating person and I highly recommend the book to gain insight into the history that shaped one of the biggest companies in the world.

When I started ClearRisk 5 years ago, he was one of my business icons. I imagine that every technology entrepreneur in the past three decades would say the same thing. It isn’t just his success that everyone wants to emulate; it’s his visionary leadership. He saw what others didn’t and fought all comers that didn’t share his vision. He was a perfectionist whose primary concern was making technology useful, simple, and accessible.

Many times in the development of ClearRisk’s products, I have said that they need to be more like Apple. Everyone knows what that means: simple with a lot of utility that doesn’t require an instruction manual.

No one knows what will happen to Apple without the greatest innovator of our time, but I truly wish the company well! No doubt it will be a different company, but Disney survived and thrived after the loss of its visionary, so hopefully Apple will too — for Steve and for all of us.

How has Steve Jobs changed the way you live, work, and play?

Let me know in the comments below!

Share this post on a social media site:

You may also find the following posts interesting:

4 Responses to “How Steve Jobs Changed Technology, Business, and the World”

Chris Gardner on October 6th, 2011

Between my iPhone, MacBook Air and iPad2 everything I do in regards to work and play are facilitated by the technology Steve pioneered.
Laura Fudge on October 6th, 2011

My first macbook changed my computer from being the thing I wrote my university essays on, to the thing I just couldn’t live without. The thing that I listened to music and watched movies on, the thing I edited and made my own mini movies on, the thing that did exactly what I wanted it to do, every time I told it to do something. Simple, effortless, and a sheer joy to play with. Steve Jobs made computers not just necessary, but enjoyable.
Brian lawrence on October 7th, 2011

I use my IPad all day everyday for work and play, at any given time every member of my family is hooked up to an apple device at some point in the day. The speed at which we comunicate in text, talk and video now is a direct result of the devices Steve brought to market.
Craig Rowe on October 13th, 2011

Thanks for your comments Chris, Laura, and Brian!