How Steve Jobs, Apple Engineers and $60 Reignited My Passion

BySteve Young Updated on

So, I just unpacked my “new” Apple Macintosh Classic. The line I gave my family today was that “Lates nights, balancing databases, and eBay don’t mix.” But as it sits there, I am finding an amazing flood of emotion and inspiration missing of late. Let me explain.

Passion can Diminish Over Time

I must admit that my inspiration and passion seem to ebb and flow as I move from engagement to engagement. After 12 years at Microsoft as a consultant, I feel myself looking to reignite my passion as the industry transitions to AI. The data product line is like a periodic Chart filled with different technologies.  Where do we find inspiration? Where does our passion come from?  I am a developer, and I love creating things.  Getting that thrill of going from the depths of frustration watching a failed build to the WOW moment when “Build Successful” finally appears.

Late Nights and eBay are Dangerous but good for Inspiration

After a really late night of really intense database auditing and balancing, I found myself searching eBay for the first time in a couple of years. I stumbled across an original Macintosh that was in the thousands of dollars. This brought back memories of wanting one but not being able to afford it when I was just out of university. I continued to look and found a Macintosh Classic being sold for parts for $60 and a “buy it now” option. What was I to do? Right?   🙂

Feed off the Creative Energy of Others

I know I work for Microsoft, and this is Apple, but my developer’s heart seems to connect to this product and feed off the creative energy of all the engineers and developers that created these game-changing devices. I remember seeing the reveal of the original Macintosh and saying, WOW, I really want one. Now I am 55, and seeing all the advances we have made and looking at what lies before us, we are still just building on what came before us. We have the same passion and drive to create as those original engineers had back in the 80s. But this simple $60 purchase, made taking a break from working late at night trying to do a project a success, has really reignited my passion for what I do, what I want to do, and what is possible.

The real lesson I found was that you should never underestimate the power of nostalgia and its ability to inspire you today.

Here are a couple of links to some context and history:
Steve Jobs presenting the first Mac in 1984
Mac Classic on Wikipedia
Macintosh 1984 Promotional Video – with Bill Gates

Product Shots

Front Mac Classic
Front Macintosh Classic
Back Mac Classic
Back Macintosh Classic

With over 34 years of experience in the data and technology industry, the last 16 with Microsoft, I have had the opportunity to work in various capacities, contributing to my knowledge and expertise in Data Engineering, Power BI, and Data Visualization.