Apple Allowing Select Employees to Devote Time to Special Projects [Updated]

[MacRumors]

Apple is allowing a small group of employees to spend up to two weeks working on projects outside their standard job responsibilities. This was originally reported by the Wall Street Journal's Jessica Lessin, by way of Business Insider.

It's similar to Google's 20% time, which lets employees spend 20% of their time on side projects that could end up helping Google.

Lessin cautioned it was a "far cry" from what Google does. It's limited to a small group of employees at Apple.

We don't have too many details for how the program, reportedly nicknamed "Blue Sky", works. It may allow employees to spend time on their own projects, or if they could be temporarily assigned to other working groups within Apple.

Update: Lessin's full Wall Street Journal article is now live. Lessin focuses on how the corporate culture is changing at Apple since Tim Cook took over as CEO, noting that Cook has been more accepting of sabbaticals, has praised employees at Apple's media events, and that the company is more frequently giving counteroffers to employees considering posts at other companies.

When it comes to culture among technology companies, Apple is still an outlier. Its managers have long ignored standard Silicon Valley perks, such as free lunches, believing the opportunity to work at the company and on its popular products compelled people to stay.

Last year, in a session of Apple's internal management program Apple University, officials discussed how the company is in some ways more like the military than a traditional corporation, according to a person who was told about the presentation.

But under Chief Executive Tim Cook, who took over from co-founder Steve Jobs last year, Apple is becoming more employee-friendly.

Article Link: Apple Allowing Select Employees to Devote Time to Special Projects [Updated]

[camnchar]

I wonder if Apple will own the rights to all of these "personal projects," or if they just maintain right of first refusal.

[ECUpirate44]

Originally Posted by camnchar

I wonder if Apple owns the rights to all of these "personal projects."

Of course they do. Anything done on company time belongs to the company.

[Eddyisgreat]

easy to do when you probably have some of the most productive people on the planet working for you.

[Shrink]

Originally Posted by camnchar

I wonder if Apple owns the rights to all of these "personal projects."

No, Apple is going to let their employees work on projects on Apple's time, with other Apple personnel, using Apple equipment, and then let them privately patent anything they create and make Apple pay them for the stuff they created.

Right!

Of course Apple owns the rights!!!

[NinjaHERO]

I think it was a good idea at Google and hopefully it will be a good idea at Apple. Giving creative people a bit of freedom can't be a bad thing, can it?

[Stig McNasty]

It's certainly worked well for Google. Maybe some of the ol' Woz magic Garage Dust can be sprinkled on fertile minds to bring about some epic new ideas an products.

[teknikal90]

Too little too late
2009 would have been a great yar

[aardwolf]

As Scott Adams (the writer of Dilbert) put in a comic... They get 20% to work on personal stuff, but they work 60 hours a week.

http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2011-12-19/

[gregwyattjr]

I think their special project should be debugging Maps.

[iAco]

In other words, Apple is losing it's innovation, so it lets a small group of its creatives play around which they hope will strike gold for Apple.

Normal. And who wouldn't do this?

Just like Netflix publishing a public challenge with a million dollar reward because Netflix's employees were too incompetent to solve the problem.

Some professors in Isreal ended up providing Netflix the optimal algorithm to their challenge.

It's normal.

[Banjhiyi]

Would not surprise if Jony has been working on the UI and it's much more advanced than we thought.

Don't think this 20% is new to Apple at all (just taken a while to come out/be speculated on).

[Cali Fornia]

Originally Posted by iAco

In other words, Apple is losing it's innovation, so it lets a small group of its creatives play around which they hope will strike gold for Apple.

Normal. And who wouldn't do this?

Just like Netflix publishing a public challenge with a million dollar reward because Netflix's employees were too incompetent to solve the problem.

Some professors in Isreal ended up providing Netflix the optimal algorithm to their challenge.

It's normal.

win-win-win (company, consumer, the guys who now own +1M), if you asked me.

[dilbert99]

Its like Google 20% time, but 4%...

[macuser1232]

Apple doesn't automatically own rights to the employee's projects. Remember a long time ago when Woz was deciding whether he wanted to develop his project for HP or Apple. In the end he decided to share his ideas with Apple.

[TouchMint.com]

I am going to bring this up at my next team meeting at my full time job and suggest we give it a try.

[mabaker]

May help Google in what way? By completely taking our privacy from us? Give me a break. Apple is one of the few where you know what the deal is. I commend Apple for having this initiative for it actually may help Apple in their good innovation trail, not spying on internet and mobile phone users like Google.

[gmanist1000]

Originally Posted by FourMoreYears

Steve Jobs would have done this under his rule if this idea had any merit. Tim Cook, you may very well be the next Ballmer.

Time will tell.

[Krazy Bill]

Forget the silly-assed side projects. Fix OSX.

[KnightWRX]

So Apple is testing the waters about copying Google ?

(a lot more than just Google do this, just a fun jab at the people here and their copying silliness).

[rjohnstone]

Originally Posted by macuser1232

Apple doesn't automatically own rights to the employee's projects. Remember a long time ago when Woz was deciding whether he wanted to develop his project for HP or Apple. In the end he decided to share his ideas with Apple.

What world are you living in?
Any work done on company time using company assets is property of the company.

Woz was part owner... he had liberties no Apple lackey will ever enjoy.

[Rocketman]

Sounds more like requesting than allowing. The investment community buzz is that the golden goose is dead with Jobs gone. Apple may have an active program to alleviate this misplaced fear until the next thing, crippled by content owner and leasee contract requirements, can be unleashed.

I just want a program guide that knows what I have subscribed to, what I like and make it easy to just watch TV when I want to veg.

I can't have it.

Rocketman

[sensorian]

So little information, yet so much cynicism and apparent expertise. I'd love to know more so I could form an informed opinion.

[Rogifan]

What's newsworthy about this except it probably didn't happen while Steve was running the show (NOT implying its a bad idea).

[rorschach]

Originally Posted by FourMoreYears

Steve Jobs would have done this under his rule if this idea had any merit. Tim Cook, you may very well be the next Ballmer.

Why do you assume that? Steve Jobs wasn't perfect. If you read the biography, you'll know he was completely, 100% against allowing the iPod to work with Windows. He only gave in because he was tired of arguing with everyone else who told him it was a no-brainer.

Imagine if Apple had done what Steve wanted with the iPod.