15 years after his passing, nobody is ‘The Next Steve Jobs’

Today marks 15 years since Steve Jobs passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Every year, memories come flooding back, and this one is no different. When I was contemplating what I wanted to say about Steve today, it occurred to me that much of what I or anyone has ever wanted to say about him has already been said. He changed my life, and he rewrote the fabric of society. But there’s one part of his legacy that’s worth reflecting on: he introduced hundreds of millions of people to the simple idea of making something great for others. Of course, he did it on a much grander scale than many of us ever will. He saw it as ‘expressing appreciation for the species.’ We often talk about his belief that we should strive to put a “dent in the universe,” but we don’t talk enough about how there are many ways to do that, at varying levels, and with different motivations. It can mean so many different things to so many people. As I’ve been reading through Ron Johnson’s new book “Shop Different,” I’ve been transported back through some vivid storytelling to when Ron and Steve were gearing up to debut the first Apple Stores. The book paints a detailed, arguably beautiful picture of Steve; complicated as ever, but meticulous and thoughtful. He’s often remembered for how hard he pushed people to do their best work, but what’s crystal clear is how much he loved learning from those same people. Ron Johnson says he proposed the idea of ‘loving your customers’ when they were planning Apple’s retail philosophy. Steve was uncomfortable with the word “love” in that context, but years later, from the Town Hall stage during the iPhone 4 ‘antennagate’ press conference, he laid it out on a simple slide that said, “We love our users.” Looking back, it feels as though the love and care were there all along, even if Steve didn’t realize it. His curiosity and care for the people who would use his products feel increasingly rare today. Apple’s original phrase, ‘enrich lives,’ expressed the same aspiration in more secular terms. Making something easier or simpler isn’t the same as enriching a life. Ever since he passed away, it’s been a common refrain to call someone ‘the next Steve Jobs’. I always look to those who knew him the best. They had the clearest view of his motivations. No one else in the industry comes close to earning the mantle of ‘the next Steve Jobs’ because no one can check every box. I’m not sure today’s tech culture could foster someone with that same extraordinary combination of traits. You can be a visionary, you can make incredible products, you can put a ‘dent in the universe,’ but there was more to Steve than just that. Looking for ‘the next Steve Jobs’ misses what made him so special. He cared about every detail more than anybody else, learned humility, took responsibility, and focused on unlocking creativity rather than how many eyeballs he could claim or keystrokes he could collect. Steve simply wanted to make the best products to help people unlock their creativity. His high standards were certainly a part of his success, but so was his heart. The more we learn about Steve, the clearer that becomes. Maybe the point shouldn’t be to find ‘the next Steve Jobs,’ but to remember what he showed us: that technology can be ambitious and earthshaking while still being deeply human. The best products are driven by love for the people who will use them, as much as by business metrics. There are many ways to put a ‘dent in the universe,’ but I believe Steve was referring to one: making wonderful tools that could help anyone create something of their own and feel the care that went into making those tools. More of us should strive to model his mission. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.