On 06/10/2011 my day starts at 5:30am. Blurry eyed, I press the home button on my iPhone, and the first thing I see is a push notification from NDTV India: “Steve Jobs, Apple’s visionary, dies at 56.”
The next few seconds feel like some invisible force knocks the air out of me. The Newton equivalent from the modern world is just gone in a blink of an eye. The world is not the same without him.
While all the social channels flood with people sharing the news, all I can do is post a few tribute pictures on Facebook. I want to write a few lines about it on Ramble, but I sit speechless throughout the day. In fact the days that follow feel similar, and I cannot find the words to pen down anything, that is until now.
Two tributes that feel right in this moment
Of the dozens of memorial photos and videos created to honor Steve Jobs, I keep coming back to the following as the most appropriate for the occasion.
1) AzR’s Apple-sampled tribute
A musician who calls himself AzR creates a video built from sounds sampled from Apple products and Steve’s 2005 Stanford commencement speech. Every instrument, including drums, is sampled from a Mac product, tuned by ear, and replayed in the context of the song.
2) 4,001 Post-it Notes in Munich
Fans in Germany find a wonderful way to express their respect. They create a portrait of Steve Jobs out of 4,001 Post-it Notes. The portrait adorns the front-facing glass walls of an Apple Store in Munich, Germany.
What stays with me
To sum up, I am glad to have lived in a period of world history that witnessed Steve Jobs change the world.
A few fast answers before you act
Q: What is this post, in one sentence?
A personal note on the morning the news breaks, plus two tributes that capture why Steve Jobs matters.
Q: What are the two tributes highlighted here?
AzR’s Apple-sampled music video using the 2005 Stanford speech. A 4,001 Post-it Notes portrait on an Apple Store in Munich.
Q: Why does the Munich Post-it portrait stand out?
Because it is physical, collective, and public. It turns respect into a visible act that other people can walk past and feel.
Q: What is the simplest takeaway?
Some people do not just build products. They reshape culture and daily behavior. When they are gone, you feel the absence immediately.