Steve Jobs Commencement Address

Honored to speak at commencement of one of the finest universities.
Personal disclosure: never graduated college; this is the closest to a college graduation he's experienced.
Purpose of address: share three stories from his life.

Dropping out of College:
- Dropped out after 6 months at Reed College, stayed as a drop-in for another 18 months.
- Reason for dropping out: profound uncertainty about life's direction and the value of the college experience.
- Financial implications: College expenses were draining his working-class parents' savings.
Connection to Adoption:
- Background: Biological mother was a young college student who put him up for adoption, desiring him to be raised by college graduates.
- Adoptive parents were called late at night and accepted the unexpected baby boy, despite not meeting the mother’s original criteria.
Persistence of Education:
- After dropping out, had the freedom to explore topics of genuine interest.
- Example: Took a calligraphy class, learning about different typefaces and typography—skills that influenced the design of the Macintosh computer 10 years later.
Philosophy:
- Connecting the dots is only possible in hindsight.
- Emphasis on trusting that the dots will connect in the future, relying on instinct, destiny, karma, or gut feeling.

Found Passion Early:
- Co-founded Apple with Steve Wozniak at age 20 in his parents' garage; the company grew to $2 billion with over 4,000 employees within 10 years.
- Impact of Macintosh release at age 30 and subsequent firing from Apple.
Details of Firing:
- Hired a talented individual to run the company alongside him; diverged in vision leading to personal conflict.
- Board of Directors sided with the hired individual, resulting in Jobs’ public ousting from Apple.
Emotional Impact:
- Experienced devastating feelings of failure and disappointment.
- Contemplated leaving the valley and internalized a sense of letting down previous entrepreneurs.
Rediscovery and Renewal:
- Recognized an enduring passion for his work even post-firing.
- Launched NeXT and Pixar, rekindled creative energy; Pixar created the first animation feature film, Toy Story.
Positive Outcomes of Loss:
- Apple acquired NeXT; his return led to a technological renaissance at Apple.
- Importance of loving the work: encourages finding true passion in work and relationships.

Influential Quote from Age 17:
- "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right."
Daily Reflection:
- Since then, Jobs has asked himself every morning if he would want to do that day’s activities, influencing major life decisions.
Perspective on Death:
- Remembering death can clarify what matters; external expectations and fears diminish in its face.
Personal Experience with Illness:
- Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer that forced him to reassess priorities and communicate with his family.
- Biopsy results showed unexpected, rare curable form of cancer, emphasizing the fragility of life.
Understanding Mortality:
- Everyone shares the destination of death; it is a natural change agent in life, paving the way for new beginnings.
- Urges graduates to live authentically, uninhibited by others' expectations or outdated dogma.
Final Thoughts:
- Find and follow one's heart and intuition; they lead to true aspirations and satisfaction in life.

Quote from The Whole Earth Catalog:
- Back cover read: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish."
- Imparting this wish to the graduates—maintain an insatiable curiosity and readiness to explore life's possibilities.

Commencement: graduation; beginning.
Relented: gave in; yielded.
Naively: innocently; unwisely.
Calligraphy: art of producing handwritten lettering with pen or brush.
Serif Typeface: typeface with decorative lines on letters (example: Times New Roman).
Sans Serif Typeface: typeface with simple lines (example: Arial).
Typography: style/appearance of printed matter; art of arranging text.
Karma: concept of good/bad luck resulting from actions.
Diverge: to differ; move away from each other.
Entrepreneur: a person who sets up a business, taking financial risks.
Renaissance: revival or renewed interest in something.
Pancreas: a large gland aiding in digestion, located behind the stomach.
Biopsy: examination of tissue to identify disease.
Endoscope: instrument for viewing internal body parts.
Dogma: a principle or idea presented as undeniably true by an authority.
Intuition: the ability to understand instinctively.
Idealistic: aiming for perfection, sometimes unrealistically.