Steve Jobs - My Epiphany

As many of us know, Steve Jobs made his first public appearance at the Apple event on Wednesday. This was after months of leave due to a liver transplant. To my surprise, Steve actually took a few minutes to address the issue. In that time, I actually felt a lot of emotion. I was thrilled to see him there more then anything. And, while he was looking rather thin, his spirits seemed high. But, I learned much more about Steve from his words, and body language then anything else.

I can't speak for everyone, but I see Mr. Jobs as an icon, and to some extent… an idol. I think he is truly one of the great minds of our time, and that goes beyond Apple products. He is one of the best businessmen/salesperson on the planet. I honestly believe if Steve Jobs endorsed a sock, people would flock to it. He just has that way. And, when you add in the Apple products, it is taken up to another level. 

I think the rumors are somewhat true; Steve Jobs puts on the market only things he would use. And, while the perfection of Apple products can be debated… there is absolutely no question that Steve himself is a perfectionist. Which is what made the first three minutes of the keynote the most interesting for me.

For the first time, I feel I saw a different side of Steve Jobs. Vulnerable, but not weak; Honest, yet not revealing. It really was one of the first times that I have realized, just how great Steve Jobs really is. It was in those three minutes that  I saw that he was more than just the CEO of a technology company.

For some reason, seeing Steve talk about his health, helped me see once again, that Apple is not a great company by chance. It is successful because of the people behind the company. And from now on… when I think of Steve Jobs, I will not see him as the Apple CEO. Instead, I will see him as one of the most interesting, smart people of our time. Because; regardless of how much of a perfectionist he may be… he is an average person, with an above average understanding of the business world.