Dear @tim_cook, Today is your final day as CEO of Apple. When you first took on the job, I was 10 going on 11, and completely immersed in the magical world of the Mac, iPod, iPhone and the iPad. Beyond school, my friends and family… Apple was one of the reasons I got up in the morning so excited to start each day. I remember sneaking to the back of my 5th grade classroom to quickly pull up the Apple homepage the day iPhone 4S launched and the pure joy I felt upon seeing it for the first time. I was already anticipating dragging my poor father to the store so I could play around with Siri and iOS 5. But the very next day, my dad entered my room and broke news to me that I would only properly comprehend and grieve years later. Steve Jobs, the man who had built this wonderful world that I adored, was suddenly gone from it. I remember being gutted, and worrying about what would happen to the company and its products that meant so much to me. But… life went on. I had 5th grade to attend and lots of growing up to do. And as 2012 rolled around, Apple and its products grew too. iPad and MacBook Pro got sharper. iPhone and iPod touch got taller, iPad got smaller, and my heart and joy for Apple grew bigger with each event and new release… from more iconic, game-changing products and paint jobs… to a device that’s saved more lives than anyone can count. But while we can sit here and go over the long list of your staggering achievements… I think it all overlooks the profound journey you’ve been on the past 15 years. When I think of you, I don’t see you launching the Watch, iPhone X or Vision Pro. I don’t think about the headlines or the stock prices. What I think of and remember is a man who, in late 2011, had the literal weight of the world on his shoulders. A man with immeasurable responsibility set before him, impossible expectations to meet, and left with gargantuan shoes no one could ever possibly fill again. But despite the unexpectedly sudden loss of your dear friend Steve, and the opinions of the outside world… to me it’s so evidently clear that your mission from the start was to, as you would say, be the best version of yourself you could be. And how lucky we are that this involved protecting and fostering this technological safe haven so many of us have made a home in throughout our lives. You provided continuity, stability and meaningful progress. And while you may not have invented Apple like Steve did, it is so deeply touching to me that you “threw caution to the wind” and wholeheartedly embraced it despite all the discouragement from your peers. Your devotion and chosen love for Apple has moved me beyond what words can convey. All of this to say, while Steve may be the soul or DNA of Apple, to me you will forever be its heart and backbone. So on behalf of the Apple-obsessed kid I once was, and the 26-year-old Apple-obsessed man I am now (and many more who feel the same) thank you, Tim, for putting us at the center of your life’s work. For making us, the user, your mission. For the real care and love we have felt through your immense effort… …and for simply being a good and decent man. With love, -Noah – at Ann Arbor, MI