By: Nick Gambino
It’s not controversial to say that Steve Jobs was controversial. With an unorthodox management style and a temper that would quiet storms, he was nevertheless a genius. Not the kind of genius who would himself tinker with gadgetry and parts, mind you.
Instead, he was the kind of genius who was uniquely equipped to see how things could be and would do what was necessary to make them a reality. The 2014 movie Steve Jobs describes his role in the tech revolution best, “Musicians play their instruments. I play the orchestra.”
This week marks the 10th anniversary of his death from pancreatic cancer at the age of 56. As the founder of Apple and its on-and-off-again CEO, Jobs ushered in a tech renaissance where some of the most pervasive tech products were introduced to the masses, quickly becoming a part of everyday life.
Honoring his memory and his life, Apple released a short film highlighting his greatest contributions, including the iPhone, iPod, and iMac. For a brief time, this short film, accompanied by photos and quotes, was on the company’s home page.
“For a decade now, mourning and healing have gone together. Our gratitude has become as great as our loss,” reads a statement from Jobs’ family. “Memory is inadequate for what is in our hearts: we miss him profoundly. We were blessed to have him as husband and father.”
Those who worked with him also shared memories of their time with the visionary. “[Steve] challenged us to see the world not for what it was, but for what it could be,” Tim Cook wrote. And Jony Ive, “He truly believed that by making something useful, empowering and beautiful, we express our love for humanity.”
After 10 years without him, it’s more evident than ever how innovative and crucial Jobs was to the tech world and thus the entire world itself. Under his watch, Apple introduced us to the home personal computer, the digital MP3 player, the touch-screen smartphone, and the larger touchscreen tablet. While these innovations may have existed in various forms before, in Jobs’ hands they permeated the everyday lives of nearly everyone on the planet. Arguably, we’ve not seen anything that revolutionary from the company in quite a while outside of the Apple Watch.
Once in a generation, a visionary helps us see a future we never even considered and lays out the path that allows us to stroll gently into a brand-new, golden era. For this generation, you can argue that’s Elon Musk, but for a time that crown was worn by Steve Jobs.
Image credit: Apple
