A Tribute to a Visionary, RIP Steve Jobs

This week the technology industry and the world lost the “Einstein” of today’s generation. Steve Jobs meant something different to all of us. He was a technology pioneer, innovator, “the guy who invented the iPod,” a colleague, friend, father and husband.

“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. Everything else is secondary.” - Steve Jobs, Co-Founder of Apple

As members of a high-tech public relations agency, we at LP&P have all been touched in some way by the contributions Steve Jobs has made to our industry and lives. So on this day, as we remember Steve Jobs, we would like to share with the rest of the world how he has influenced the lives of each and every one of us...

I had the privilege of attending the D5 conference in which Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were on stage together for the first time in many years. It was quite an experience to see these two industry luminaries deal with the grudges and issues of the past and discuss common ground. I remember Jobs had a wonderful closing comment for the discussion, quoting a Beatles song, "And, you know, I think of most things in life as either a Bob Dylan or a Beatles song, but there’s that one line in that one Beatles song, “you and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.” And that’s clearly true here." -Lois Paul

Mr. Jobs, thank you for your forward-thinking attitude and never being afraid to take chances. You turned your ideas into pieces of “art” that the whole world could relate to. Not many people can say this – you truly have made an impact on people across all races, religions, etc. and have forever left your footprint on the world. -Tara Lefave

In 1997, upon his return to Apple, Steve rehired Apple’s long-time advertising partner TBWA/Chiat/Day and collaborated with them to launch a new print/TV campaign entitled, “Think Different." The ads highlighted the contributions of several notable innovators, including Albert Einstein, John Lennon, Alfred Hitchcock, and Gandhi, among others. These ads began with the line, “Here’s to the crazy ones...” and concluded with “...the people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do” - So it was with Steve Jobs. Thank you, Steve. -Mark Greco

Steve Jobs made it easy for me to have all of my music in one convenient place. Having music in a digital format encouraged me to check out new artists without having to commit to a full album. So long, Discman! -Lucy Miller

I found out about Steve Jobs passing on an iPhone, a revolutionary product of his own design. He believed in thinking about things until they were simple, instead of settling for the first complicated solution. I’ll work hard to remember that very important lesson. -Andrea Sanchez

I honestly don’t know how to say that Steve Jobs’ influenced technology without it coming out as the understatement of the millennium. The uniquely remarkable thing about Steve Jobs is that his legacy extends far beyond iPhones and our other beloved devices. He will always inspire innovation, fearlessness and appreciation for viewing simplicity in rather complicated things. And though most of us only ever saw him via interviews and livestreams, his character and brilliance were something to respect and admire. I'm a tech-obsessed millennial, and as far as role models go, I can think of no one more worthy of aspiring to be like than Steve Jobs. -Andi Narvaez

Two entirely different things come to mind. First, the trend of late has been for innovation to come from outside the US. So to have had the mind and creativity of Steve Jobs, who impacted the world with his inventions, here in the US, was pretty cool. Second, having had several family members succumb to pancreatic cancer, I am reminded how much more effort needs to be made toward better treatments and a cure. RIP. -Christine Simeone

No more boring elevator rides or eating alone…my iphone is a friend I can always count on to deliver conversations, news, laughs, games-- hours of entertainment. I Apple. -Emilie Salvagio

I had the opportunity to participate in a meeting with Steve at Lotus Development when he was trying to get the company to write more applications for his NeXT computer. This was around 1994. I got to experience his famous passion and aggressiveness first hand. No one could have imagined then that he would return and resurrect Apple. He defined and transformed multiple industries – computers, movies/animation, music and mobile/telecommunications. He changed the way people live. The "Think Different" ad campaign, launched with his return to Apple in 1997, captures what he was all about. -Bill McLaughlin

Jobs was the driving force behind the company that epitomizes excellence in design, quality, and user experience, one that has inspired me to deliver my best in my career. -Ken Pespisa

In my mind, Steve Jobs’ legend is as the only person that has been able to strip complexity completely out of tech products where everyone else has failed. This hit home two years ago when I handed my first iPhone to my 73-year old father-in-law – a man that has never learned how to use a computer – and he knew exactly what to do with it without me having to show him. – Ted Weismann

Of course Steve Jobs has left quite a legacy and it is almost indescribable, but I would say one of his most important accomplishments is granting the average person/consumer the opportunity to genuinely care about technology, ironically creating a culture not just an “i." It was apparent that he cared for his customers and created quality products that addressed and adapted to an ever-changing society, he didn’t make products to simply make money. -Rachel Lawton

Steve Jobs proved that there are no rules or boundaries a person must follow to make an impact on the world. His dedication to constant innovation has impacted my life in ways beyond technology. -Katie Tibbetts

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” Steve Jobs knew what it took to stand out from a crowd and prove to the world that anyone can make a difference. Someday, if I am even 1% as brave and successful as Jobs, I will know that I have lived a full and happy life. Steve Jobs has paved the way for new up in coming entrepreneurs; let this generation show that we are willing to step off that paved path into something unknown and spectacular! -Adriana Mirra

As a new professional to the world of technology and a kid who grew up in the iEra, thank you Steve Jobs for the creativity and innovation that changed a generation and shaped the future. -Katie Huber

For as many accolades as Jobs has received, I still think he is the single most underappreciated thinker in the past 50 years. A few months ago I watched the movie “Up” on my iPad, and at some point it dawned on me: I had just used an iTunes gift card (Jobs) to download a movie on iTunes (Jobs) to my iMac (Jobs), which I then transferred to my iPad (Jobs). Oh, and by the way, “Up” was made by Pixar (Jobs). He didn’t just streamline technology, he recreated the way we think about it, and for that, the world lost one of its great thinkers on Wednesday. -Casey Ford

He personified the old saying ‘mind over matter.’ I’m thankful he defied logic and was able to stay with us as long as he did. -Lucie Mann

Steve Jobs not only revolutionized the technology industry, he forever changed the music and entertainment experience as well. Thanks to him, the way we consume media will be forever changed for the better. -Mike Parker

Not only was Steve Jobs an amazing innovator and genius of our time who changed the way we view the future of technology, but he also touched the lives of the younger generation by encouraging us to “do what we love” and to be passionate about our work since our career accounts for a large part of daily life. This quote has shaped the way I think of “work” and pushed me towards finding a job that I’m truly passionate about:“Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.” -Caitlyn Keating

Steve Jobs is a prime example of what it means to put your heart and soul into your job. Although he only lived to be 56 years old, those years were filled with happiness, passion and love for the work he did and from his family, peers and rivals. Steve Jobs will be terribly missed, but never forgotten. RIP -Nicole Shepard

One of the most amazing things about Steve Jobs was his outlook on life – he encouraged everyone, especially young people, to focus on pursuing their dreams and reminded us all that “time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.” -Maribel Lopez

Steve Jobs was a brilliant man who brought Apple to the forefront of technology and set the bar for so many devices and applications in the market. He was an innovator in the purest sense of the word, and we will feel the impact of his death in so many aspects of our lives for many years to come.Thank you, Steve Jobs, for creating billions of addicts to technology. You redefined the idea of the “geek.” -Stefanie Tuck

I can't help but wonder if everyone that uses an iPhone, iPod, iPad, iTouch, iHome, Macbook, or any other Apple product aspired to be even 1% as innovative or inspirational as Steve Jobs, what kind of world it would
be. Maybe it's time we all "Think Different." -Nancy Scott

Steve Jobs gave me the computer that's been with me since college, the phone I couldn't get through the day without, the access to music that keeps me sane and the inspiration to live my dreams. I am a Mac. -Amanda Breeding