The Next Steve Jobs

It is with great sadness that the world is bidding a fond farewell to a true genius. Steve Jobs' passing is just heartbreaking. His love of discovery and innovation is legendary and will be greatly missed.

Especially sad, given the times really seem to call for the kind of spirit and mindset Steve appeared to have -- right up to the end. His friends and colleagues speak eloquently about his vision and love of innovation; how he could literally 'see' the 'next big thing' and help others take the journey with him. I've been following #ThankYouSteve on Twitter today and love some of the comments.

Two of my favorites:
"RT if you're touching an Apple product right now. #thankyousteve"
"#ThankYouSteve for making "i" the coolest letter in the alphabet."

Who's the next Steve Jobs? Is there an individual out there ready to take the mantle? Maybe so. We certainly seem to have entered into a flourishing era of innovation with social, mobile, local, gaming, etc.

Or could it be there are multiple Steve Jobs' around the globe -- individuals who are just bursting with a great, big dream? Individuals who carry on the love of discovery and inspire us all with their creations?

Whatever the answer, now is the time that we -- the 'big' we -- embrace the visionary message that was Steve's life. That we nurture the best in each other. That we push and challenge each other to do better, see farther, make more of a difference.

My hope is that the next Steve Jobs is dreaming big right now about how to offer the world something elegant, moving, inspiring, and useful. I hope we're all challenged to vision what we can't even imagine yet.

And that the rest of us give them the opportunity to create what they see. #ThankYouSteve