Dear Steve...

Dear Steve,

I trust this mail finds you in the best of spirit!

 

The morning of 6th October 2011 brought the bad news. All these years we have been running around and I could never find the time to write this mail to you. Finally it had to be written after you left.

 

When we joined the industry as engineers you had already started Apple Computers. Macintosh had already become popular in India. We would often discuss why Macs were so limited in numbers when IBM compatibles were selling like hot cakes. Even the engineering students could assemble a computer at home and sell it.

 

When I got an opprtunity to work on the Mac I realised what superior OS can be. I came to know how Mac was different. Later on I realised how Steve was different.

 

A friend gifted me the book written by John Sculley. Though his term at Apple was not successful, and he was the very person to put you out of Apple, John did portray what a genious Steve is. The story was interesting and there was a lot to learn for a young graduate like me. No one thought you would ever return to Apple. The news coming out of Apple, for almost a decade, was not really great! Financial issues, product development issues, management issues - nothing seemed to go right! Thankfully, things took a favourable turn and you returned. Your second innings at Apple truely over-shadowed the first one.

 

iMac, iPod, iPhone - things just kept happening. Apple made lots of money, not because it wanted to make money, but because you wanted to build products for the future. You said, "It is not the customer's job to know what he wants, it is ours." Your products crossed the threshold of technology and became pieces of art.

 

Every product that hit the market created a league of its own. Your ideas and innovation taught us the difference between good engineering and spirited engineering. We learnt engineering from you, years after graduating out of a University.

 

You made the products intuitive. Your eyes could catch what others couldn't. You adopted GUI, mouse, and numerous other technologies when others had not realized their potential. You built products that simplified life, at the same time improved its quality. Apple products kept on disrupting conventional beliefs and shattering businesses. Others change the rules, you changed the game.

 

Your life was trailblazing and death was unique. Out here in India we kept on hearing about garage-start-ups in the Silicon Valley that made it big including Apple, Hewlett Packard, Hotmail, and others. We kept on hearing about the new generation of entrepreneurs. Names like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates informed the world that the next generation had arrived. This new breed could do things in 10 years that others did in 50. We have heard of businessmen who made it big over a lifetime of 50 or even 75 years! Their enterprises were built over not just their lifetimes, but over generations of their descendents. Your generation grew at amazing speed. While the IBM, and GE executive wore suits in office, you and Bill would sport a jean and T-shirt and yet get the same respect.

 

While most other Silicon Valley greats comfortably settled in their areas, you went through multiples of ups and downs in your personal and professional life. Your wealth swinged from zero to millions, to come down to zero again, and sure enough to go back to millions again. You made a difference to three different domains, IT, Telephony, and Entertainment. Without you, these three would have never converged.

 

There is one thing that we don't like about you Steve; you were the first New Generation Silicon Valley entrepreneur to pack your bags and leave. In one of your intereviews, you mentioned that after being diagnosed with cancer, the doctors said something to you that meant "prepare to die." But you came back with a bang. Tell me Steve, how did you keep your flame of creativity alive all this while? Where did you get this energy from?

 

Steve, you were not just an engineer, you were a gifted engineer! You didn't just see a better future, you invented it for us!

 

We have only one thing to ask Steve…do it again...show us your magic... just once more...we are hungry for more foolish people like you.

 

Come back to motivate millions of engineers...to inspire millions of students...to guide budding entrepreneurs...to help billions choose a better life...may be in a different body this time... because death can only destroy the body...it cannot destroy the spirit called Steve Jobs…Steve can not die...death can!

 

Awaiting your reply!

 

Yours,

Mak

Poem Name: Water wishes

Poem Name: Water Wishes

I wish I could handle water in my hand to make a beautiful water land

I wish I could sit on water's chair with long and silky black hair

As a pile of circle dishes, I have a list of water wishes

            - Tanmaya Pandit

Poem Name: Daffodils

Poem Name: Daffodils

Daffodils, so sweet and cute Daffodils,

I have a question that are you on the hills?

Oh, when it rains, here are you

or behind the window panes?

I have questions about you to find,

which are all stuck in my mind

              - Tanmaya

Poem Name: Wondering for new shoes

Poem Name: Wondering for new shoes

I brought shoes brand and new

How is it the points are few

It has a flower in the middle

My friends told me to as a riddle

They changed the topic of my shoes

And also said stop telling clues!

                                    - Tanmaya Pandit

Good Better & Best: Tanmaya's Poems

Tanmaya (my daughter's) Poems (she is 8 years old)

--
Poem Name: Good Better & Best


Good better and best, never let them rest

cheer the bird  while she builds the nest


If you do so, not a need of no,

Try again and again, and others also


I want to write a line, I can't think more

Is there any time, when birds are on the tree of lime?

Jigsaw Puzzle

Germany Visit: At Abu Dhabi Airport

Barely within 2 weeks of reaching home, I had to set out on another business visit. This time it is going to be a 5 days long trip of Germany.

The trip started with an odd-itinerary of Mumbai – Frankfurt via Abu Dhabi. The most odd thing about the trip was the timing of the flights. In my long international traveling experience of over 10 years, this was the oddest. The Mumbai – Abu Dhabi flight left Mumbai at 4:30 AM and reached Abu Dhabi after 3 hours. Then I had a break of almost 6 hours at Abu Dhabi.

The airport is like any other modern airport. Extremely clean and with lot of passengers. There are food stalls providing different type of food right from Burger King to Japanese Sushi. I did not notice any Indian Food outlet though. In fact, not even any Arabic Food outlet. Arabic food is pretty close to Indian food. I did not notice any pork being served anywhere. May be it is prohibited.

The airport has a number of computer terminals where one can access his/her mails. I did that some time back. The keyboard has Arabic characters and the interface is "right-to-left." Google shows the "Search" button on the right and the "I am feeling lucky" button on the left. I could not read Arabic but could figure it out after I used it." Search results appear on the right instead of the sponsored links! Seems strange when you use it for the first time.

There are noticeable number of prayer rooms around. The flight I am taking today is Etihad Airways, this is the national carrier of UAE. The entertainment system of the flight had sound track of Koran. I tried to listen to that but could figure out nothing. The announcement that was made in Arabic probably started with an equivalent of "Bismillah-ur-rehman-rahim"

At 12 in the afternoon they played a audio for doing Namaz. This lasted 10 mins and was played aloud to the entire airport. Interestingly I did not notice anyone reading namaz then. I am actually writing this page at the Adu Dhabi airport. I am waiting for my connecting flight to Frankfurt. As I was tying this page I noticed someone sitting behind me playing some "Hindi songs that I could not easily recognize." That's the time I realized that I am surrounded by at least 200 Pakistanis.

The last time I had a similar feeling was when the Babri Masjid was demolished in Ayondhya. It had triggered riots in Mumbai. I was in Mumbai then and I still remember the day when I and my manager had gone to meet a client in Mahim. As we went there we could see some of the shops that were burnt down during the riots. These were the shops of timber (wood.)

Both of us had gone to a hotel in Mahim. The hotel was full during the lunch hour. It was hoisting a green flag with Moon and Star, indicating the religion of the owner. We were not too sure if we were doing the right thing. We were both marketing buys so we were dressed in formals with impressive neckties. Both were clean-shaven and it would have been difficult to judge our religion from our looks. We just had to remember not to speak in Marathi (my manager was a Konkani, so we would naturally get into the habit of speaking in Marathi).

People observed us carefully as we entered had lunch, then had a cup of tea and left. I still remember the taste of the tea that was made from goat's milk!

Today, I am sitting in not just a Muslim country and am surrounded by at least 200 to 300 Pakistanis. They are all wearing Pathani dress. I am in jeans and T-shirt and am sitting alone. So there is no need to speak in any language. From their looks, it is clear that they have identified that I am an Indian IT Professional. But they are more surprised my map laptop, headphones, and style of sitting and working rather than my country of origin. At times they are peeping into my screen to see what I am doing.

Even noticed some "Malyalis" around. Familiar faces! No matter where you go in the world, you will find Mallus and Sardarjis. They are truly international communities. They work hard and are doing well wherever they have gone and settled.

I am surrounded by literally all types of people from around the world. I just had a Burger King Sandwich Meal and was sipping a cup of American Black Coffee. World has truly become global.

Just that we need to be a lot more tolerant towards each other. Till the time we do not do that we can not understand each other.