RIP, My Idol

The world has lost a super hero today. Steve Jobs has captured the imagination of millions world wide and in the process created the most loved global brand. Apple holds the distinction of not only being the most valued tech company in the world today but also the only company in the world to have trumped an Oil & Gas major (Exxon Mobil) in terms of market cap at a time when global oil prices are at their peak!

Steve’s visionary leadership will be sorely missed at Apple for years to come. He never allowed to be typecast and kept Apple at the cutting edge of innovation. He pushed his team to dump the tried and tested and create products that were truly revolutionary. As a CEO, Steve inspired millions all over the world. Although I agree that he was not a level - 5 leader who could develop future leaders under his wing to carry his legacy forward (no offense to Tim Cook but I a seriously doubt his ability to fill Steve’s shoes), he was a leader next to none.

Ever since he came back to Apple in 2000, he has led the company from one miracle to another. Starting from the launch of iPod in 2001, which completely transformed the way the world listened to music to the iPhone (2007) and iPad (2010). His style has always been that of a daring and pathbreaking leader. With the launch of iTunes, he singlehandedly brought the biggest names in the music industry, who refused to believe there was a better way to distributing music, to their knees; and in the process transformed the way the world accessed music.

As a budding entrepreneur, I have always tried to emulate Steve. His ability to simplify complexity, his oratory skills, his infectious passion, and his pride for his baby (Apple) have all deeply resonated with me. His keynote speeches at product launch events have always been a treat to watch; I have not seen another leader that is so passionate about his creation as Steve. Although he never bragged about it, Apple, under his leadership has been a pioneer of Lean Product Design. Apple was the first company to shun excessive bells and whistles in its products (Macs to iPads) and instead focused on value as perceived by customer, both in engineering and software design. While delivering superior value and reliability, their products are insanely simple in design and in use. Their OS and Software are next to none; they have just the right amount of features that delight the user while being incredibly simple to learn and use. It always amazes me that Macs (OS X user base) have only 15% penetration even in North America, when it is obvious that they are at least 100 years ahead of the competition in features and design.

I was hoping for Steve to come out strong and win his battle against pancreatic cancer, so it comes as a deep shock to me to learn of his untimely death. Steve has left an indelible mark on the world and his position at Apple is irreplaceable. To my mind, he is the greatest entrepreneur of the century and the world will dearly miss him!

RIP my idol.

"I want to put a ding in the universe."

- Steve Jobs