Steve Jobs in his own words

Consumerism : I end up not buying a lot of things, because I find them ridiculous. (29/10/2005)

Excellence : People judge you by your performance, so focus on the outcome. Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected. (1987)

Innovation : Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. (2011)

iPhone : iPhone is five years ahead of what everybody else has got. If we didn't do one more thing we'd be set for five years! (9/1/2007)

Motivation : It's better to be a pirate than to join the Navy. (1987)

Stickiness, on his return to Apple : You don't need to take notes. If it's important, you'll remember it. (2009)

Vision : We're gambling on our vision, and we would rather do that than make 'me, too' products. Let some other companies do that. For us, it's always the next dream. (24/1/1984)

Next big thing : I'm always keeping my eyes open for the next big opportunity, but the way the world is now, it will take enormous resources, both in money and in engineering talent, to make it happen. I don't know what that next big thing might be, but I have a few ideas. (24/1/2000)

Think Different : Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

STAY HUNGRY. STAY FOOLISH.

source: I, Steve (edited by George Beahm)

Steve Jobs's Resignation Letter

August 24, 2011

To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple's brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you for all the many years of being able to work alongside you.

Steve


source: I, Steve (edited by George Beahm) www.georgebeahm.com.

Steve Jobs's CV

Objective: I'm looking for a fixer-upper with a solid foundation. Am willing to tear down walls, build bridges, and light fires. I have great experience, lots of energy, a bit of that 'vision thing' and I'm not afraid to start from the beginning.

Skills: that 'vision thing', public speaking, motivating teams, and helping to create really amazing products.

source: Steve Job's Resume, www.me.com.

Sad Story

THEY are well educated young couple. We live together with them by sharing a flat. It is always joyous for first timer parent to know they are in the process of welcoming their first ever baby to their couple life. We were happy to learn that his wife is in pregnancy when I am being told few months ago. They only knew the gender of baby on couple weeks ago. They were visibly happy with the news of baby boy following scan result in KK Women and Children hospital. We all shared their joyous moment as the young parent server flatmates with pizzar dinner. My wife and I don't know why we are also happy to learn their new member of family would be boy. Perhaps most of our friends couple these days are delivering baby girls than boys. Though our culture has no favorable gender, parent are apparent to prefer getting boy. It is unwritten feeling.

For the young couple, lacking male siblings from maternal sides would be one of the reason why they were overjoy by the news. Sadly their good news didn't last long for them. Approximately about couple weeks and it all up side down. My wife and I were shocked to learn that his wife has been miscarriage and 21 weeks old baby boy was prematurely delivered to depth. It is disaster for young couple. We perfectly know how much they have tried their best to figure it out to promote their life style from couple life to family life. He is working as scientist and he did well in family planning. He and his wife approached to medical consultant to check their health status before entering to a process of trying to get baby. It all went quite smooth to the given medical results. It apparent started few months back when a young woman encounters bleeding from his ovary strangely. They continuously consulted with OG and visit very frequently. Once they were needed to admit to hospital for overnight stay to treat her well.

Good news from disaster is that young woman able to deliver conventionally and allowed to discharge on the same day. The 21 weeks old dead baby was left behind following suggestion of OG. We learned that less than 23 weeks baby born dead would not be issued dead certificate. Hence, medical professional advised the young couple not to claim dead body so that they could avoid unnecessary cost. But it is up to parent to decide. My friend couple choose to follow OG's advice and come back home in deadman's walking. In addition, there was one more thing to feel lucky from this disaster. This is that if this incident happened on few weeks later and baby boy is born alive, they'll have to leave the baby in hospital for 200 days compulsory. Of course it won't come free to them who are SPR. The hospital estimates the cost would be approximately at S$200,000.00. Then their saving would have been burn to zero. If they are not lucky enough, the baby would be paralyses person for the whole life and it is going to be a heavy burden to the young couple to shoulder. 

I tried to console him by highlighting the good points from the merciless disaster. Being Buddhist, we have to believe in karma. Nothing happen to us without reason. Whatever we did in past life, the sequence will follow us in present life. We can't run away and have to accept it. If we do not have necessary understanding of basic principle of Buddha literature, we would be distraught when we suddenly face life's disaster like the young couple is facing now. I'm relief to see them not so grief after I remind them that what most important is the health of wife. I'm convinced that the young couple have enough time to make another healthy baby in near future and he is apparent to agree with me.

May all young parents able to possess a healthy babies at their early family life.

Where is Dignity ?

ONE day, my fellow citizen who is working in local SME yelled angrily after he finds out that Consultants disagree with their variation work claim. It is hard to find project that is free from variation work as Client keep changing mind and ask Consultants to amend original design. It usually come out during construction period because most of Client are unable to fully understand on paper. Hence this lacking ability in advance forced them change mind after they find out the building in physical stage. This process is nothing new to all construction firm and we all go settle under title of variation work.

In view of above, most constructor prefer to use provisional contract rather than lump sum which is widely considered high risk. You change you pay is not problem. But sometime Client wants to change without allowing subcontractor to increase their bills. It is Client who gave basis concept for design and Consultant follow up with the suitable design that suit Client's requirements. As a subcontractor, you got to follow instruction from Consultants as a part of duties. Usually, subcontractors got instructions on site meetings in the form of verbal. As time is always constraint, there is less time to wait for formal instruction in the form of written one. In fact, some consultants deliberately do not issue written instruction, especially when they need to change frequently. The more they change, the more likely to exceed original contract sum. At the end of project, Client will score them for breaking cashflow regardless of who should take responsibility. No wonder Consultants want to make sure project can be done within budget.

It is usual for employees to work multi-function jobs in local SMEs, I mean there is no full structure in small firms. Hence they need to perform from top managerial post to the lower ranks. They need to attend meeting, prepare report, get shop drawings, order materials, liaise with main contractors and consultants as well as subcontractors, etc. It is not easy to perform at optimum level in every angle to the given responsibilities. But most of us need to chew such condition in the work sites. Once Consultants disagree with their variation claim, he is needed by boss to explain on short coming certificate. He told to boss that if Consultants disagree with this, they must not be gentleman. Because we exactly follow their instruction on site. The problem is he has no written form of instruction to be substantiate. At the end of the project, they are at the lose side and nothing to do but upsetting. Upon his explanation, his boss remarked as follow:-

You don't need to be gentleman in doing business. My friend noted in motionless. Can we able to say it is part of qualification to become professional? Sadly, most of Consultants are not willing to take responsibilities for what they have told during construction stage unless you have proper evidence. Believe me, it is true and happening to our daily lives at construction industry.