Steve Jobs speech: Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

I still remember the first time I watched Steve Jobs’ Stanford commencement speech. He was not a polished motivational speaker. He was vulnerable, raw, and deeply human. Yet his words cut through all the noise: Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.

For me, sitting in South Africa in 2005, this message feels more urgent than ever. We are living through a time where young people in places like Uitenhage, Khayelitsha, or Soweto are facing unemployment rates that can crush the human spirit. And yet, the very same digital world that makes us feel left out also holds the seeds of transformation.

Jobs told three stories: about connecting the dots, about love and loss, and about death. Each of these resonates with anyone who has ever felt stuck, lost, or uncertain about their future. And haven’t we all?

• Connecting the dots: Looking back, we can see how the choices we thought were mistakes often shaped our path. For many South Africans, that “wrong turn” could be the start of something beautiful—a hustle that turns into a business, a skill that turns into self-employment.
• Love and loss: Jobs was fired from Apple, the company he founded. Imagine being pushed out of your own dream! But in that season of loss, he rediscovered creativity. In our context, losing a job or dropping out of varsity isn’t the end—it may be the doorway to building your own platform.
• Death: Jobs reminded us that life is short, and we don’t get to carry status or possessions into the grave. That’s sobering in a country where too many young lives are cut short. But it’s also freeing: we can live courageously, take risks, and try things that matter.

So when he says Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish, I hear a call to stay restless, keep learning, keep questioning. And to take leaps that look foolish to the crowd but make sense to your soul.

In my work with digital skills and personal development, I see this hunger and “foolishness” as the twin engines that drive self-employment. You cannot build a future waiting for someone to hand you a job. You have to stay hungry for knowledge, foolish enough to try something new, and bold enough to keep going when it doesn’t work the first time.

For South Africans in 2005, that’s the mindset we need—not just for survival, but for growth.

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish. And maybe, just maybe, stay digital.

For those who want to get a small insight into the life of one of the greatest entrepreneurs ever to come out of Silicon Valley, this is a must read. You can read the full text of the Steve Jobs speech: Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish or just watch the video: