“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

“It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me — Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.”

“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”

“And we’ve all chosen to do this with our lives. So it better be damn good. It better be worth it.”

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

“The problem with the Internet startup craze isn’t that too many people are starting companies; it’s that too many people aren’t sticking with it.”

“I was in the parking lot [after the lecture], with the key in the car,” Jobs said. “I thought to myself, ‘If this is my last night on earth, would I rather spend it at a business meeting or with this woman?’ I ran across the parking lot, asked her if she’d have dinner with me. She said yes, we walked into town and we’ve been together ever since.”

“I want to put a ding in the universe.”

“My job is to not be easy on people. My job is to make them better.”

“Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?”

“Life is brief, and then you die, you know?”

“In most people’s vocabularies, design means veneer. It’s interior decorating. It’s the fabric of the curtains of the sofa. But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a human-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service.”

“I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation.” — Introduction to his 2005 Commencement address at Stanford.

“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.” — From Steve Jobs 2005 Commencement address at Stanford.

“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” — From Steve Jobs 2005 Commencement address at Stanford.

See the complete version of Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement text here:

In August 2011, Steve Jobs officially stepped down as CEO of Apple and took the position of Chairman of the Board. He wrote to his company in a brief resignation letter: “I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.”

With gratitude to Steve Jobs — posted via my Apple MacBook.