Google Founders: Steve Jobs Was an Inspiration

**Waqas** · October 6, 2011

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have each posted their condolences over the passing of Steve Jobs.

Both Page and Brin posted their reactions to Google+, the company’s new social network. In his statement, Brin said that Jobs’s “passion for excellence is felt by anyone who has ever touched an Apple product.” He went on to note that he has had the honor to witness Jobs’s passion in person during “the few times we have met.”

Page, now Google’s CEO, said in his statement that Jobs’s “focus on the user experience above all else has always been an inspiration to me.”

Page and Brin famously wanted to hire Jobs as Google’s new CEO back in the company’s infancy after meeting the Apple founder. They eventually chose Eric Schmidt for that role.

Here is Sergey Brin’s statement:

“From the earliest days of Google, whenever Larry and I sought inspiration for vision and leadership, we needed to look no farther than Cupertino. Steve, your passion for excellence is felt by anyone who has ever touched an Apple product (including the macbook I am writing this on right now). And I have witnessed it in person the few times we have met.

On behalf of all of us at Google and more broadly in technology, you will be missed very much. My condolences to family, friends, and colleagues at Apple.”

Here is Larry Page’s statement:

“I am very, very sad to hear the news about Steve. He was a great man with incredible achievements and amazing brilliance. He always seemed to be able to say in very few words what you actually should have been thinking before you thought it. His focus on the user experience above all else has always been an inspiration to me. He was very kind to reach out to me as I became CEO of Google and spend time offering his advice and knowledge even though he was not at all well. My thoughts and Google’s are with his family and the whole Apple family.”