It's not often that you cry when someone you've never met passes away. Steve Jobs had that impact on me (and millions others worldwide). From the day I first used an Apple computer at IIMA to design a brochure to now where my life is surrounded by all things Apple, no other technology company or person has had the influence on my life the way Apple and Steve Jobs have. As a manager, I have learnt so much from Steve Jobs, almost like Ekalavya did from a guru who didn't know the student existed. Three things stand out. Business strategy is as much about what you don't do as it is about all the stuff you do, even if it means going against conventional wisdom. Think of the missing floppy drives on Macs or the lack of USB ports on the iPad or the lean SKU structure of all iThings - Apple made tough choices even if popular "demand" suggested otherwise. Second, passion and persistence pay off. Steve Jobs' story is that of rising above adversities; he won against the odds, in business and in life. If you love what you are doing and believe in your capability to achieve your goal, nobody can hold you back. Third, Steve Jobs built an institution at Apple. Yes, he was the visionary and creative leader but undoubtedly a large part of Apple's success is due to the extremely talented people that he was able to motivate and the entrepreneurial agility that he created at a large organization. A leader without great followers / team is at best a maverick. And one more thing. Steve Jobs realised the power of presentation, the visual impact and drama that brought chips, glass and software alive. I shamelessly ape Steve's style (if you haven't already noticed) and hope I can make even a fraction of the impact he made to technology, business and life. Sent from my iPad
Update: This tribute to Steve Jobs was published in The Hindu Business Line on October 7, 2011.