On October 5, 2011, we trickled in from lunch and launched our web browsers to find that apple.com had drastically changed. We found not sleek iPads or shiny iPhones, but an image of a man we’ve come to know and love, and the subtle announcement of his passing. After the initial shock, our iPhones and iPads were in hand to read more and share the devastating news of one of our biggest influencers. Steve Jobs was a brilliant man who changed the world through his passion for innovation, which ultimately connected people and paved the way for others to become innovators as well.
Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and in honor of him, we would like to dedicate this blog post to thank Steve for everything.
Dear Steve,
“Thank you” is not nearly enough appreciation for how much you’ve inspired us. We wouldn’t be as productive and creative if it weren’t for your inventions and influence. Every Apple product we touch will be a reminder of your imaginative mind and that the impossible is attainable.
We don’t know if you remember, but once upon a time we were bold enough to reach out to you in the hopes of working with Apple. Although there were more constructive ways to turn us down (though, we’re able to laugh about it now), we were just honored by the fact that you took the time to learn more about us and respond.
We kept that email as a little memento of what drove us to become the agency we are today:
We saw your email not so much as an insult, but as motivation to be innovators in our industry, just as you were in yours. Your response inspired us to reevaluate our business. To never settle. To expect more out of ourselves. To, as you say, “think different.”
So we took down our website and put up a landing page. Then, persevered on a new website and portfolio that was simple, yet positioned us as the industry leader we sought out to be. We still can’t believe how much progress we’ve made today. Nonetheless, we still challenge ourselves and help other brands do the same.
Though we said it wasn’t the right words to express our gratitude, we would still like to say thank you. You are a genius whose legacy will continue to inspire the world and everyone in it to be better and do better.
Sincerely,
Mindgruve
“That’s been one of my mantras – focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.” – Business Week , 1998.
