Name : MARK PAULO D.

MENDOZA

Subject : Steve Jobs – Commentary Analysis (Organizational Management)

Date : December 5, 2020

Steve Jobs’ 2005 Commencement Exercise Speech at Stanford University

As Steve Jobs once quoted, "Stay hungry, stay foolish," a powerful motto that followed him

through life highlights his 15 minutes’ exposure at Stanford University’s 2005 commencement exercises.

Steve Jobs’ short inspirational speech is considered as an effective, simple and finely crafted

speech because of his strong use of emotions, way of words & poetic situations and appeals. He uses his

background in life and upbringing to play upon his approach. The speech had a theme that resounds

with what everyone seeks meaning in their lives and career. He tells several life stories about life-death,

discoveries-opportunities, love-lost & success-failure. An adversity to reach and encourage the new

graduates to do what they love, on makes them happy, even if the thing that makes you happy does not

always go according to plan.

Jobs’ tackled three lessons from his life in three different stories. Throughout the speech, Jobs’

tells of three stories about his personal life experiences in which he found motivation. He started his

speech with the line, “Truth be told I never graduated from college and this is the closest I've ever gotten

to a college graduation”. The quote automatically sets the mood and immediately adds humor and

punchline to his speech. His introductory line reaches & appeals to the audience’s feelings and attention

that makes way for him to be at ease and delivered throughout in an efficient gateway.

Jobs’ first story was about “connecting the dots”. The story about his upbringings in life, his

childhood days and being adopted, his school life and how he got to where he is today with his invention

of Apple Computers, Pixar Animation, and NeXT. During his speech, he talked to the graduates that his

biological parents could not raise him on their own, so they managed to find people who could better

1
support and provide for him for all if his needs. They sought him to be adopted by a well-educated

family, so that when he grew he up, he himself could become highly educated too. He also discussed

about him dropping out of on his College course so he could “drop in” to the in the courses that interest

him. As he ended-up taking calligraphy classes, a course that no practical application to his life but it is

where he learned all about fonts, and everything you would ever need to know about typeface. Years

later he incorporated what he had learned into the design of the Macintosh. “It was the first computer

with beautiful typography, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them

looking backwards. You have to trust the dots will somehow connect in your future.” Steve Job’s way of

delivering his first story gives a great meaning, and it allows the audience to defer meaningful

application. He ends his first story by telling the graduates a piece of advice that transitions properly into

his second story. His approach in life has never let him down, and it has made all the difference in his

life.”

Jobs’ second story was about his “love and losses”. He recalled falling in love with computers at

an early age and also explains his troubles during the beginning years of his creation of The Macintosh.

He meets Steve Wozniak, hired to help him create and build Apple and losing it after he was kicked out

from his own company. He stated that “Getting fired was the best thing that could ever happened to me,

I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what

you love.” This heartache brought him to create Pixar Animation, NeXT, and to even meet his future

wife. He then invokes his emotions to the audience when telling stories of about wife, and how they fell

in love with each other. Even though these misfortunes in his life occurred, Steve would not be where

he is today without them, as he quoted “It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it.

Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith”. The graduates that heard his speech

will probably face some of this trials and hardships in life might be the same with Jobs’ himself dealt

with. Some of them are going to fail, lose everything, and going to work hard. He allows his audience to

2
understand the true measure of success, and what it takes to become successful. He used this second

story to let his audience know that you should follow your dreams, never give up, and you will get to

where you are supposed to be. Failure is just our stepping stone to success.

Jobs’ third and final story was about “death”. “Remembering that are you going to die is the

best way I know to avoid the trap thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is

no reason not to follow your heart”.  After being diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer, the doctors told him

that he had three to six months to live. Initially, he panicked and thought of everything he had to do is to

say goodbye to his love ones to his family. Hours later, the doctors did a biopsy and found that his

cancer was easily cured with one surgery. “This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it's

the closest I get for a few more decades.” He uses this story of being near to death to share with the new

graduates that life is short. “Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be

trapped by Dogma. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most

importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you

truly want to become. Everything else is secondary”.

Steve Job’s 2005 Stanford commencement speech emphasized triumph over adversity, success

over failure and winning than losing. Each of the three stories of vignettes from Jobs’ life involve struggle

or sacrifice. Stories of triumph over struggle which might resonate and parallel with his audiences

because humans are hard-wired to empathize with one another. Stories are the mobile through which

we share these common bonds and help transport the listeners that allows them to see to themselves in

the speaker’s shoes.

Steve Jobs ends his speech with a powerful quote from a book he read, "Stay Hungry. Stay

Foolish. I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for

you. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” A quote that can give people courage they didn’t know they had. Mr.

3
Steve Jobs’ speech inspired and will still inspire people, convincing many more people to “Stay hungry.

Stay foolish.”

Stay hungry, stay foolish, lines that stick to my mind as I watched the inspirational video speech

of Steve Jobs to Stanford University’s graduates. Staying hungry means knowing want we want, what

we desire, what we aspire and what we dream of. Staying foolish means be silly enough to pursue our

wants and dreams even for others it looks impossible.

The biggest mistake we make in our life is thinking we have time (Kobe Bryant)

When god holds your hand he doesn’t let go