So Long and Thanks for all the Fish Thoughts on Steve Jobs

I heard the news that Steve Jobs died, of course, through a smattering of tweets before mainstream media could even update their websites.

Even though it shouldn’t have been a surprise, really, what with his sudden resignation just a few weeks before, I was still struck with a sense of profound loss and sadness. It reminded me of how I felt right when I heard that Douglas Adams had died years earlier. Here again was someone with such an unimaginable breadth of talent and vision, someone who was still contributing in a such an enormous way, gone, long before they should have been. There is an element of disbelief. Why do we so often lose the best people?

I bought my first MacBook Pro a few days ago. It arrives today.

I had been towing the line on Apple for years: I’ve owned a few generations of iPods and Nanos, love my iPhone and iPad, but I have stoically remained committed to my PC. Most places I’ve worked have used them, and macs have always have seemed so insanely expensive when I’m prepared to upgrade. But when you get right down to it, I’m really a Mac type of person: I love design and usability and products that look and work beautifully.

I didn’t buy the MacBook because Steve Jobs died. There was a handful of other reasons, like: we’re about to delve into some app development, and you really need a mac to get into things like that. And I’m tired of toting around a 9lb notebook when I travel overseas. But I still think that for a little while, every time I’ll use it, I’ll think of the man behind it.

There’s a video of Steve Jobs that’s been making the rounds lately. It’s his Stanford Commencement Address from 2005 and for some reason, it’s just now that I’ve sat down and watched it in full. If you haven’t yet, I’ve included it below, and you should stop reading this and go watch that. Then come back.

There’s a lot of good advice packed into those 15 minutes. But the part I love the most comes near the end:

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And, most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

There were a lot of reasons why I started NoSleepForSheep – some selfish, some more altruistic. But mostly, it was about finally doing the things I am most passionate about, and using my skills to arm others – creatives, small business owners, crazy startups and dreamers – with the tools they need to be able to follow their passion.

When your job is your passion, it stops being work. And that’s when you can change the world.

So long Steve Jobs, you will be missed.