Watch: Ive, Cook, Powell Jobs talk Steve Jobs at Code 22

by Jonny Evans · September 27, 2022

Tim Cook, Laurene Powell Jobs and Jony Ive join Kara Swisher to talk Steve Jobs

In the post iPhone launch hubbub you might have missed what seems to be an important moment for Apple watchers, when CEO Tim Cook, the widow of Steve Jobs, Laurene Powell Jobs, former chief Apple designer Jony Ive and Kara Swisher appeared together at Code 22 to discuss the legacy of Steve Jobs.

An important moment for Apple historians

The event, which also marked the last Code 22 conference to be chaired by the legendary Swisher, seemed unique, and I wanted to make a record that it did take place. It seems unlikely these three people will spend too much time on stage together again. While it’s old news now, I guess, I wanted to take a moment to record that the event took place at all.

The three gathered to promote the recently introduced Steve Jobs Archive, which Jobs’ widow says she hopes will become a place that inspires people with the life’s work of the man. The panel took place on the day of the iPhone launch.

Cook said he felt Jobs, “Would be troubled by a lot of things that he sees, the sort of… division in the world,” adding his feeling that Jobs would be pleased that the company is living up to values he held, such as privacy and environmental protection.

About caring

Powell Jobs said Jobs would not be silent on the issues of the day and would continue his work to empower humans better. Ive discussed his compassion and love for ideals, and his curiosity, care, and love of ideas. “Steve noticed the details in everything,” (aesthetically), she explained.

Ive also hit with the concept of care, that deep commitment to attempting to do the best you can with what you create. “I think our species deserves better. It deserves some thought,” he said.

I could paraphrase the entire thing and hope to find a transcript somewhere – I’m quite willing to create one if people request it. It’s of great interest, providing both an insight into Apple in the here and now, but also in how it echoes what the company has at its core.

“We don’t sit around and think what would Steve do, he told us not to do that,” said Cook. “He was the best teacher, and those lessons live on.”

About the Steve Jobs Archive

Powell Jobs explained the Steve Jobs Archive is “Rooted in Steve’s long held notion that once you understand that, outside of the natural world, everything in the built environment and all the systems that govern our life on the planet were built and designed by other humans. Once you have that insight, you understand that you as a human can change it, can prod it, can perhaps, interrogate it and stretch it. In that way, human progress happens.”