So sad… another great person pass away today from cancer.
Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
As I write this, news is up that Steve Jobs has passed away today. I am really not a Mac person. My first entry into the world of Apple was an iPod Shuffle (never bought the original). I really started to appreciate Apple when I got an iPod Touch (3G). Its ease of use totally got me addicted to the device and soon into designing my own apps. I later invested into a Mac Mini. I haven’t fully converted (my PC is still my main machine) but I really enjoy their products.
The whole story of Steve fighting cancer reminded me very much of what Jackson went through. He had successful victory of the disease in the beginning only to have cancer come back up. In both cases, they fought the disease with courage and try their very best to minimize the diseases’ effect on their life. In the back of people’s mind, I believe most people believe that they will fight and come back of any difficulties.
Steve Jobs passed away when he was 56… Jackson Lan 55. Only a year apart.
In both cases, they are what defined their company. They are both very passionate about it and really care about the people who work for them. They both believe that good people is important for the company. When people can see this type of passion and determination, they really like working for the person. They were visionaries. Of course, Jackson isn’t Steve Jobs but I believe if they were to have met and talk about their respective philosophies, it would have been a very interesting conversation.
Will this be the demise of Apple? It takes a special skill to manage a finely tuned engine and not everyone is a visionary. Steve’s vision will start to be interpreted differently. Good people will start to leave the company. It isn’t like it never happened before just look at what happened to the company when Steve left in late 80’s…
RIP Steve Jobs