Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

Summary

Steve Jobs gives a commencement speech sharing three stories from his life to illustrate connecting dots, love and loss, and death. He encourages graduates to love what they do, follow intuitions and the heart, and 'stay hungry, stay foolish.' He recounts dropping out of college to audit only classes he enjoyed, getting fired from Apple as the best thing that could happen, facing cancer and death which brought clarity on what truly matters, and cites Whole Earth Catalog's farewell 'stay hungry, stay foolish' as inspiration for graduates beginning anew.

Takeaways

• 😀 Dropped out of college after 6 months because he didn't see the value in it at the time
• 💡 Took a calligraphy class that shaped the Macintosh's beautiful typography years later
• ❤️ Got fired from Apple at age 30, but it ended up being the best thing that could have happened
• 🚀 Started companies like NeXT and Pixar during the next 5 years, which led to innovations at Apple later on
• 🎓 Realized he still loved what he did, despite being fired from Apple, so he started over
• 👪 Met an amazing woman who became his wife and started a family during this creative period
• 💀 A cancer diagnosis made him realize how important it is to live each day to the fullest
• ⌛ Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life
• 🧠 Follow your heart and intuition since they already know what you want to become
• 😎 Stay hungry, stay foolish - always pursue learning and taking risks

Q & A

Why did Steve Jobs drop out of college?

He dropped out because he didn't see the value in spending all of his parents' savings on college when he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life.

How did calligraphy studies impact the design of the original Macintosh computer?

The beautiful typography and font design Steve learned in his calligraphy class informed the graphical user interface and multiple font capability of early Apple computers.

What lesson did Steve Jobs learn from getting fired from Apple?

He realized it freed him to enter his most creative period and start companies like NeXT and Pixar, and falling out with Apple's management led to his eventually returning to reinvent Apple.

What quote had a big impact on Jobs's perspective?

The quote "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right" made him ask himself every day if he would want to do what he planned that day if it was his last.

How did Steve Jobs's cancer diagnosis change his outlook?

Thinking he only had months to live focused him on what really matters in life, dispelled external pressures, and gave him courage to live according to his own inner voice.

What was Steve Jobs trying to convey with the Whole Earth Catalog anecdote?

He admired the idealism and tools for self-education represented by the 60s counterculture publication, seeing it as a paper-based precursor to ambitious tech innovations.

Why recount these three stories from his life at commencement?

He wanted to inspire the graduates to love what they do, follow intuition despite outside pressure, and regularly re-examine if their work measures up to their mortality.

What were the key decisions that made Pixar so successful?

Trusting talented people, taking risks on innovative technology for computer animation before it was proven, and focusing on great storytelling.

What personal traits empowered his success?

A passion for design excellence, immense curiosity to try radically new approaches, and persevering through early failures.

What was his parting message for the graduates?

To stay hungry for what drives your own passion and success, don't settle into complacency, and maintain a somewhat naive willingness to disrupt the status quo.