Setting the Scene

For the last two months I’ve ended most days the same way: headphones on, code editor open, and Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford commencement speech playing in the background. My internship started here in Tanzania two months ago, so the ritual usually begins between 2 and 3 A.M. That quiet stretch of the night has become my favorite time to debug a tricky script or polish a new feature.

Why the Speech Resonates

I first listened to the speech in high school, but it didn’t stick with me then. It was only later, while I was at Kigali Airport in Rwanda-coming from Paris en route to Tanzania-that I downloaded the YouTube video. With noise cancellation on, I gave it my full attention. Every word from Jobs hit differently. That moment redefined how I saw life and its purpose.

Love What You Do

One line that always catches my ear is, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” Hearing that on repeat reminds me to focus on projects that spark pride rather than settling for quick fixes. Even when a bug refuses to budge, it’s easier to stay at it when I know I care about the final product.

Jobs also believed that “the ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” That line echoes whenever I start to doubt my ideas. It reminds me that groundbreaking projects often begin as outlandish dreams. If I don’t allow myself to think a little crazy, I’ll never build anything truly different.

Facing Death

Jobs explained that when you remember you will die, all fear and outside expectations fall away. I’m 18 now. Statistically, I might have 60 years left-about 21,900 days. If that were your bank balance, spending a day or two is fine, but when you burn 365 days or even 10, you start checking your balance. I’ve started checking mine. Time is the only currency that can’t be earned back. Jobs’ own story proved it-all his wealth couldn’t buy him more time. As he said, death is life’s change agent; it clears out the old to make room for the new.

Bill Gates once observed, “Death is the greatest invention of life. Everyone has to face it, and that is as it should be.” His words complement Jobs’ reflections, reminding me that mortality is both a limit and a catalyst. Knowing the clock is ticking brings clarity: am I spending today on something that actually matters? When I sit with that question, the trivial worries shrink away, leaving only the projects and relationships that feel truly worthwhile.

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

Another favorite is Jobs’ classic sign-off: “Stay hungry, stay foolish.” In the darkness of the early morning, those words push me to keep experimenting. They’re a nudge to try out a new algorithm, even if it means throwing away hours of work, or to dive into a strange new framework just to see what happens.

Y Combinator Inspiration

Along with Jobs’ talk, I’ve been going through a handful of Y Combinator startup lectures. That mix of tough love and practical advice has given me more clarity than any formal class I’ve taken. Combined with the speech, these lessons have helped map out a direction for the projects I want to pursue once this internship wraps up.

Closing Thoughts

I never planned on repeating the same video every night, but it has become a grounding ritual. I no longer want to spend hours at social events or on distractions. If I want to create something five generations remember, I need to value every minute. Everyone gets 24 hours. If you want to do something different, you need to live differently. Cut the noise. Cut the drama. Play the long game.