• Copywork365
  • Posts
  • 1-NOV-2024 | Steve Jobs' email to himself

1-NOV-2024 | Steve Jobs' email to himself

Author

Dan Bogachek
November 01, 2024

Steve Jobs' email to himself

And now for something completely different.

I grow little of the food I eat, and of the little I do grow
I did not breed or perfect the seeds.

I do not make any of my own clothing.

I speak a language I did not invent or refine.

I did not discover the mathematics I use.

I am protected by freedoms and laws I did not concieve
of or legislate, and do not enforce or adjudicate.

I am moved by music I did not create myself.

When I needed medical attention, I was helpless
to help myself survive.

I did not invent the transistor, the microprocessor,
object oriented programming, or most of the technology
I work with.

I love and admire my species, living and dead, and am
totally dependent on them for my life and well being.

Sent from my iPad 🏁

This is a note, maybe even a poem of sorts, from Jobs to himself a year before he died. There is no hard call to action — though there is a bit of a punchline.

  • KISS — keep it simple, stupid. Simplify to the most precise, smallest (atomic) version of what you mean. Grade 4 a la Hemingway App.

  • A theme of continuous evolution throughout. Jobs starts at food and goes all the way to modern tech.

  • Identity x repetition.

You glance at your watch.

It’s 6:28. You’ve been at it since 3.
Crap. Your hot date is at 7. Running late. Sink shower it is.
Nowhere close to done editing…

“…at least all the ideas are laid out, so there’s that. Did I miss anything? I don’t think so? Ok, but how do I make it flow? I need to get the final draft to Stacey for design asap, team cutoff is at noon Thursday…”

You’ve spent dinner completely distracted. Your date just took off. You go home exhausted, plod to your desk, and crack open the laptop.

Or… it could go like this:

5:41 — you’re out of the shower and lip-syncing.
6:17 — dressed to the nines and zenned out.
7:03 — the sunset glints off your aviators as you smile hello.
8:36 — it actually feels like you’re hitting it off. Not just hot, funny to boot.
Next morning, 10:27 — polished draft ready in your inbox.
10:31 — Stacey messages back, “thanks, looks good!”

The difference?

You had Copygloss handle it yesterday afternoon.

For help with editing, email Dan:
[email protected].