Comments on: Update on the Steve Jobs post from an Apple alum (Updated again!) http://andrewchenblog.com/2009/12/04/update-on-the-steve-jobs-post-from-an-apple-alum/ Essays on viral marketing, freemium, and social gaming Tue, 22 May 2012 16:59:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bike Games http://andrewchenblog.com/2009/12/04/update-on-the-steve-jobs-post-from-an-apple-alum/comment-page-1/#comment-2858 Bike Games Mon, 28 Jun 2010 23:33:37 +0000 http://andrewchenblog.com/?p=1423#comment-2858 Many people even me think Apple was going down until they introduced the ipod and moved into the mp3 business. It save their company to innovate more products. Many people even me think Apple was going down until they introduced the ipod and moved into the mp3 business. It save their company to innovate more products.

]]> By: Andrew Chen http://andrewchenblog.com/2009/12/04/update-on-the-steve-jobs-post-from-an-apple-alum/comment-page-1/#comment-2709 Andrew Chen Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:41:56 +0000 http://andrewchenblog.com/?p=1423#comment-2709 David, thanks for the additional comment. I reposted it, and also added some thoughts from Kristee Rosendahl, a fellow apple alum. David, thanks for the additional comment. I reposted it, and also added some thoughts from Kristee Rosendahl, a fellow apple alum.

]]> By: Byron Bonner http://andrewchenblog.com/2009/12/04/update-on-the-steve-jobs-post-from-an-apple-alum/comment-page-1/#comment-2492 Byron Bonner Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:01:08 +0000 http://andrewchenblog.com/?p=1423#comment-2492 "so i would argue that benevolent dictatorships are the best form of govt in the world, including both for companies and for countries, where one person has both the right vision and the ironhand/cut-thru-the-bullshit attitude and style to do the right thing. think if obama ruled the US like steve jobs. he would just do the right thing, and nobody could do a single thing about it."<br><br>You are kidding, right? David is actually advocating for dictatorial rule of the USA by Obama? <br><br>It doesn't matter what your politics are (Left, Center or Right) -- this is madness. <br><br>A private company with a "dictator" at the helm, where employment is voluntary is...oh....I don't know...a few orders of magnitude different than....say....dictator of the USA...<br><br>Where are your Philosopher-Kings? As Popper pointed out, they don't exist. <br><br>To use a lame cliche, the exception that proves the rule may be City-Statelet Singapore and Lee Kuan Yew. “so i would argue that benevolent dictatorships are the best form of govt in the world, including both for companies and for countries, where one person has both the right vision and the ironhand/cut-thru-the-bullshit attitude and style to do the right thing. think if obama ruled the US like steve jobs. he would just do the right thing, and nobody could do a single thing about it.”

You are kidding, right? David is actually advocating for dictatorial rule of the USA by Obama?

It doesn't matter what your politics are (Left, Center or Right) — this is madness.

A private company with a “dictator” at the helm, where employment is voluntary is…oh….I don't know…a few orders of magnitude different than….say….dictator of the USA…

Where are your Philosopher-Kings? As Popper pointed out, they don't exist.

To use a lame cliche, the exception that proves the rule may be City-Statelet Singapore and Lee Kuan Yew.

]]> By: Andrew Chen http://andrewchenblog.com/2009/12/04/update-on-the-steve-jobs-post-from-an-apple-alum/comment-page-1/#comment-2488 Andrew Chen Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:41:56 +0000 http://andrewchenblog.com/?p=1423#comment-2488 David, thanks for the additional comment. I reposted it, and also added some thoughts from Kristee Rosendahl, a fellow apple alum. David, thanks for the additional comment. I reposted it, and also added some thoughts from Kristee Rosendahl, a fellow apple alum.

]]> By: rinkjustice http://andrewchenblog.com/2009/12/04/update-on-the-steve-jobs-post-from-an-apple-alum/comment-page-1/#comment-2475 rinkjustice Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:38:17 +0000 http://andrewchenblog.com/?p=1423#comment-2475 Thanks for your insider insights David. <br><br>I've been watching earlier presentations Steve Jobs has given on YouTube and he is a rare breed of "big picture' thinker and design guru - with a nasty competitive streak. And being an owner of the iphone, I couldn't agree more with the statement: "Thank God for Steve."<br><br>Chen, great blog post, as always! Thanks for your insider insights David.

I've been watching earlier presentations Steve Jobs has given on YouTube and he is a rare breed of “big picture' thinker and design guru – with a nasty competitive streak. And being an owner of the iphone, I couldn't agree more with the statement: “Thank God for Steve.”

Chen, great blog post, as always!

]]> By: SharelOmer http://andrewchenblog.com/2009/12/04/update-on-the-steve-jobs-post-from-an-apple-alum/comment-page-1/#comment-2474 SharelOmer Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:41:37 +0000 http://andrewchenblog.com/?p=1423#comment-2474 There are many lesions to learn in here, if Steve Jobs was not right all the time, then apple wouldn't by apple.... but i am sure that for each good Steve jobs who takes the company up, there are too many that pull it down :( and i have seen a few... i think that a company should have a special souse, which is the right balance (like all in life) between biz, product and customer needs... There are many lesions to learn in here, if Steve Jobs was not right all the time, then apple wouldn't by apple…. but i am sure that for each good Steve jobs who takes the company up, there are too many that pull it down :( and i have seen a few… i think that a company should have a special souse, which is the right balance (like all in life) between biz, product and customer needs…

]]> By: Barry http://andrewchenblog.com/2009/12/04/update-on-the-steve-jobs-post-from-an-apple-alum/comment-page-1/#comment-2471 Barry Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:51:27 +0000 http://andrewchenblog.com/?p=1423#comment-2471 "think if obama ruled the US like steve jobs. he would just do the right thing, and nobody could do a single thing about it."<br><br>Someone is drinking a bit too deeply from the Obama Kool-Aid.... “think if obama ruled the US like steve jobs. he would just do the right thing, and nobody could do a single thing about it.”

Someone is drinking a bit too deeply from the Obama Kool-Aid….

]]> By: dshen http://andrewchenblog.com/2009/12/04/update-on-the-steve-jobs-post-from-an-apple-alum/comment-page-1/#comment-2470 dshen Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:11:19 +0000 http://andrewchenblog.com/?p=1423#comment-2470 Andrew, thanks for reposting my email!<br><br>I should clarify that I don't think that Apple is run by business and engineering guys solely now. I think it's probably one of the most balanced orgs, power-wise in any corporation I've seen. What other companies have their head of design reporting into their CEO? I can't think of any!<br><br>But CTOs almost always report into the CEO, and certainly the business structures, like business units, general managers, etc. always do.<br><br>Authority and importance are often driven by how high in the org chart you are. Having a voice at the table as high up as possible means you get to be heard and your issues taken seriously, and your influence felt. It also means that the CEO has now told the company: "the guys who report to me are also the most important to me. That's why they report to me." If the design lead does not report to the CEO, then how can design truly have a voice in the strategic decisions of the company? It could only be translated through the voice of his manager, and so on, upwards until they get muddied and washed out by the time they reach the top...or just lost.<br><br>A clarifying point about indirect design influence: <br><br>I actually think Steve has a direct influence on design on many products, and that the effect of this design influence creates what I'll call "design philosophy inertia" which propagates through the org, across product lines and down product lines. This is where his indirect influence can be felt. But it is clear to me there are products that he cares most about, and these he will put his attention on all the time.<br><br>As I said in the post above, thank god we have Steve. I doubt we'd see the world be filled with such superior products without him. Andrew, thanks for reposting my email!

I should clarify that I don't think that Apple is run by business and engineering guys solely now. I think it's probably one of the most balanced orgs, power-wise in any corporation I've seen. What other companies have their head of design reporting into their CEO? I can't think of any!

But CTOs almost always report into the CEO, and certainly the business structures, like business units, general managers, etc. always do.

Authority and importance are often driven by how high in the org chart you are. Having a voice at the table as high up as possible means you get to be heard and your issues taken seriously, and your influence felt. It also means that the CEO has now told the company: “the guys who report to me are also the most important to me. That's why they report to me.” If the design lead does not report to the CEO, then how can design truly have a voice in the strategic decisions of the company? It could only be translated through the voice of his manager, and so on, upwards until they get muddied and washed out by the time they reach the top…or just lost.

A clarifying point about indirect design influence:

I actually think Steve has a direct influence on design on many products, and that the effect of this design influence creates what I'll call “design philosophy inertia” which propagates through the org, across product lines and down product lines. This is where his indirect influence can be felt. But it is clear to me there are products that he cares most about, and these he will put his attention on all the time.

As I said in the post above, thank god we have Steve. I doubt we'd see the world be filled with such superior products without him.

]]>