ENGLISH SPEECH | STEVE JOBS: Stanford Speech(English Subtitles)

Summary

In this speech, the speaker shares three pivotal stories from their life about following intuition, overcoming setbacks, and facing mortality. The first story discusses how dropping out of college led to unexpected opportunities. The second highlights the speaker’s journey of love and loss, including being fired from their own company and starting anew. The third story reflects on death and its role in helping us focus on what truly matters. Through these stories, the speaker encourages graduates to trust their instincts, follow their passions, and embrace life's uncertainties.

Takeaways

• 🎓 The speaker never graduated from college but is honored to speak at the commencement of a top university.
• 👶 His biological mother placed him for adoption with a strong preference that he be raised by college graduates.
• 📚 The speaker dropped out of Reed College after six months because he couldn’t see the value of spending his parents’ savings without knowing what he wanted to do.
• 🎨 After dropping out, he attended classes that interested him, such as calligraphy, which later influenced the design of the Macintosh computer.
• 💡 He emphasizes that you can’t connect the dots looking forward, only backward, and trusting that the dots will connect is key.
• 💔 His second story is about love and loss, including being fired from Apple, the company he co-founded, which ultimately led him to new ventures like NeXT and Pixar.
• 🎥 Pixar went on to create 'Toy Story,' and the technology from NeXT became the foundation for Apple’s resurgence.
• ❤️ He underscores the importance of loving what you do and not settling in your career or personal life.
• 💀 His third story is about death, explaining how facing his own mortality made him focus on what truly matters and live authentically.
• 🧭 He concludes with the advice: 'Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.' — urging graduates to remain curious and bold throughout their lives.

Q & A

What is the speaker’s educational background?

The speaker dropped out of Reed College after six months but continued as a drop-in student for 18 more months before quitting altogether.

Why did the speaker drop out of college?

The speaker dropped out because they couldn’t see the value in the education for what they wanted to do, and it was costing all their working-class parents' savings.

How did the speaker’s biological mother influence their early life?

The speaker’s biological mother, a young unwed college graduate student, decided to give the speaker up for adoption but insisted that they be adopted by college graduates.

What was the significance of the calligraphy class in the speaker’s life?

The calligraphy class at Reed College taught the speaker about typography, serif and sans-serif typefaces, and the artistry of fonts, which later influenced the design of the first Macintosh computer’s typography.

What lesson does the speaker share about connecting the dots in life?

The speaker emphasizes that it is impossible to connect the dots looking forward but that they become clear when looking backward. They advise trusting that the dots will connect in the future.

What is the speaker’s second story about?

The second story is about love and loss, specifically how the speaker was fired from Apple, the company they co-founded, and how that setback led to new ventures like NeXT and Pixar.

How did getting fired from Apple benefit the speaker?

Getting fired allowed the speaker to experience the freedom of being a beginner again, which led to one of the most creative periods of their life, including founding NeXT and Pixar.

What advice does the speaker give about finding work you love?

The speaker advises that the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking and don’t settle.

What personal experience does the speaker share about facing death?

The speaker shares a story about being diagnosed with a rare form of curable pancreatic cancer, which initially seemed fatal, and how that experience reinforced the importance of following one’s heart.

What was the significance of the ‘Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish’ message?

The message came from the back cover of the last issue of The Whole Earth Catalog, which was influential for the speaker. They found inspiration in this message and wish it for the graduates as they move forward in life.