Earlier this year Jason Snell of Macworld magazine had some interesting insights on how Apple would fare in the absence of Steve Jobs. His bottom line is that Apple is now firmly in the mold of Steve Jobs. Jobs created a corporate culture that has suffused the company and that has deeply imbibed his ethos of putting people first, of letting design lead technology, of having the courage to do things differently, and of never compromising the vision, even if it means lower short-term profits.
Snell said that great products like the iPad didn't happen because Steve Jobs went into a room by himself, thought about what people wanted, and then emerged with the idea of an iPad. Rather, it's been a team effort that involves creative and intelligent people who understand clearly Apple's mission and who have been trained in the Apple way. Yes, Steve Jobs was the one who constantly goaded them to perfection. But it seems unlikely that they will suddenly forget everything they've learned from him after his passing. By now they understand what makes Apple great, and there is every reason to assume they will continue to work at a high level.
When Jobs was forced out of the company 20 years ago, Snell said, he wasn't so firmly control. Apple failed without him because the culture wasn't so firmly established. That will be unlikely now.
No comments:
Post a Comment