I first saw Steve Jobs speak at the D5 Conference. Where the infamous “glass of ice water in hell” comment originated. I remember it well. Big laughs. But there’s another comment he made during that interview that had a much more profound impact for me.

The interview came between the announcement and the release of the original iPhone. While Walt Mossberg asked him questions about the upcoming release Steve, ever the master salesman, kept patting his right front pocket. (He had an iPhone. Right there. In the room!)

Walt’s questions slowly turned from requests to show us the phone to questions about where the iPhone was headed. And Steve answered all the ones he was willing to. Told us he wasn’t willing to answer others. Finally Walt asked him a question that totally stumped him, and I can’t remember what the question was, but I’ll never forget the answer.

With genuine enthusiasm and smile on his face, you could tell the question excited him, and he replied:

“I don’t know.” Pause. “But I’m really excited to find out.”

And he was.

Steve Jobs had an amazing life. Did amazing things. Touched an incredible amount of people. And, most assuredly changed the world. But for me, sitting in the audience that day, a little bit more afraid of the future than I was willing to admit to anyone at the time, Steve Jobs taught me that the things you didn’t know could be infinitely more exciting than the things you did know. And he took fear out of the equation.

And he didn’t just say it. He sold it.

Tweet | Written by Mike Monteiro on October 6, 2011 |