Apple, Tesla Fighting Over Top Employees

[nando87]

As are nearly ever model of car ever publicly presented by Ford, GM, Mercedes, BMW, Toyota, Nissan, etc...

Oh Really? All of those have promised to create an amazingly cheap (under rivals' prices) car with untold autonomy using new still not developed technologies, built in a still inexistent facility, but then delayed several times (for years) its release partly because developing and operating costs are huge, they have enormous debt and haven`t been be profitable since their foundation until years to come?

Good to know. What do I know about vaporware...

----------

If you polled the entire planet of people that can read "English", more people would identify the Tesla logo than either of the other two.

All that chauvinist redneck stuff is funny, seriously, even to me, but then again I have to suppose that not only the continent but also the content is a joke.

 

[A.Goldberg]

If you're a successful Apple employee you're probably at the top of your game, in other words you could get a job anywhere.

Tesla might be a nice career change for someone looking to broaden their horizons and work on something truly new and revolutionary. Independent, mainstream car companies don't typically pop up everyday.

Sure Tesla doesn't have the job security Apple offers, but like I said it's not like the candidate is unemployable elsewhere. While I don't really know salaries of top Apple employees, but if they're in that much demand they're probably financially secure as it is.

 

[pmd]

My parents know what Tesla is.

I have friends throughout europe and asia who know what Tesla is.

I just got back from travelling literally around the globe over the Christmas period. I saw multiple Tesla Model S cars in every country I went to - I was really surprised at how many are out on the roads now. There were a lot in Hong Kong, although there were a lot more Mercs and Porsches

 

[Soccertess]

No, Apple is a very good and very strong brand, maybe the best. Tesla is a niche+vaporware quite unknown brand.

Apple has infinitely more money, expertise and power. If Tesla thinks they are winning at something, is because Apple wants it that way, or simply doesn't care.

Let's be realistic.

Apple was also once an unknown brand in 1976, and i'm sure the pundits who called described them as niche and vaporware (even though that term didn't exist back then) really made the right call to ignore a rising threat.

I doubt any executive would say that Apple would want it that way or doesn't care. And if they did, they will fall by their own hubris. Maybe Apple's board of directors thought the same thing when they let Steve Jobs walk out the door in 1985, and how did that go? Let's hope history is not repeated as we are both Apple fans (at least I assume so)

Let's be realistic, maybe the people who don't follow the automative industry or space industry don't know Tesla or Spacex, but the executives in those industries who first ignored Elon are sure watching him now. Elon may have a niche automotive company for now and may have a rocket company in it's infancy, but you are dead wrong if you refer to them as vaporware. If Apple is losing staff to Tesla or Spacex (i am just throwing spacex in there), I wouldn't be surprised. I think those in the industry see that Elon's companies are going places and breaking new ground. Just like when Steve Jobs started Apple and his epic return.

 

[Tycho24]

Apple should buy Tesla and name it iCar

Umm....

That would be "Apple Car".
Please get with the times!!! =P

 

[Soccertess]

If you polled the entire planet of people that can read "English", more people would identify the Tesla logo than either of the other two.

I wouldn't go that far.... I love Tesla and can't wait for future models.. but they are still in there initial growth phase. There cash flows are tied up making huge infrastructure investments, making the biggest battery factory of all time...

I predict one day a lot of us will have Teslas, and hopefully a robot Tesla maid I personally can't wait to get rid of my BMW for a Tesla...

----------

Umm....

That would be "Apple Car".
Please get with the times!!! =P

I wonder if an Apple Car would have to drive on proprietary Apple Roads and only be serviced by a Mac Genius.

 

[A.Goldberg]

If Apple bought Tesla wouldn't see a new Mac or iPhone update for years...

 

[Santabean2000]

Tesla is not unknown, where did you even get that from? Tesla have had enormous media exposure around the globe, everyone i know know what a Tesla car is, most other people around the globe to.

Just because they sell a small quantity of cars compared to bigger brand doesnt mean that they are unknown.

They are not unknown, in the USA... Outside of that, the vast majority would have absolutely no clue who/what Tesla are. Zero. Zilch. Zippo. None.

Sounds like a vacuum cleaner.

Unfortunately my US friends, this is a classic case of y'all confusing the States and the world. They are not the same thing.

 

[NeilHD]

Jobs - "Do you want to make sugar water or, change the world"...
Musk - " Do you want to change the world or, Go to Mars"...

Musk is the new Jobs... Wouldn't it be fun to drink a beer with these guys

Musk is the new TONY STARK

I've got a serious amount of time for that guy. Totally intent on turning entire industries on their heads, and doing things better and cheaper in ways that people say can't be done. So far, he's doing a damn fine job of it.

Altruistic, too. The guy who runs The Oatmeal started a campaign to buy Nikola Tesla's old lab at Wardenclyffe. He contacted Elon Musk because that's who's Tesla is named after, and he put in a lot of money so they could buy the land. He then asked him later for more so they can build a museum and he put in a million dollars. He didn't have to, but he did.

Frankly if I had the choice of working for Tim Cook, or working for Elon Musk then I'd choose Musk (and the 60% more and $250k signing wouldn't hurt).

Apple under Jobs was a company that changed the world a bit. But I don't know if it can keep on doing that. Tesla (or Space X) under Musk still can.

 

[ugru]

P.S. If you Google "Tesla", you get "About 147,000,000 results".

The majority of which are related to a well known serbian engeneer...

and not to an unknown (outside the USA) automotive company...

 

[bsolar]

They are not unknown, in the USA... Outside of that, the vast majority would have absolutely no clue who/what Tesla are. Zero. Zilch. Zippo. None.

Sounds like a vacuum cleaner.

Unfortunately my US friends, this is a classic case of y'all confusing the States and the world. They are not the same thing.

I assure you that Tesla is known in Europe, especially in the northern countries. This doesn't mean it's a mainstream product but currently no electric car is.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

I really don't get all this negative attitude toward Tesla. Just because it attracts former Apple employees doesn't mean it's anti-Apple. Both companies are very innovative and (I imagine) great places to work. Maybe some feel under appreciated or think they can make a bigger difference at Tesla. It's their jobs, their lives.

 

[NeilHD]

The majority of which are related to a well known serbian engeneer...

and not to an unknown (outside the USA) automotive company...

They are not unknown outside of the US.

A few years ago they had their Roadster on UK Top Gear (somewhat unfavourably), which is seen by hundreds of millions of people around the world.

In the UK at least after that there was a lot of media attention about how they were treating Tesla unfairly in their review.

And more recently Tesla have been showcasing their cars at 2 of the largest shopping malls in London. I sat in one - I now want one! I don't expect the UK is the only place they are doing this.

I think they are more known than you realise.

 

[a0me]

Now they've said they're delaying their mainstream vehicles another year or pair of years. By then BMW and others will have their electric range

BMW and the others have been taking about an "electric range" for what 15 years? 20? How many have them released?

 

[lindsve]

Unknown outside US? I must be living in a weird place then, because Tesla is among the most sold vehicles here in Norway. I see tens of them each day and well, I have one myself.

Tesla get huge media exposure here and "everyone" knows about the brand and the Model S.

 

[mikecorp]

Love Tesla

Apple should buy Tesla, can you imagine how cars would change? Pity it doesn't apply crappy drivers.

 

[Ed1024]

I live in the UK and my Mrs. had a test drive in a BMW i3 yesterday and I’m having one in a Tesla Model-S next week. These products are not unknown here but are still a bit niche. Having said that, I’ve seen quite a few Teslas on the road in the London area.

As far as the Apple/Tesla “fight”, I see them as similar companies at different stages in their lifecycles. Elon Musk is probably high up on Tim Cook’s list of useful board members and, being 11 years younger, a possible eventual replacement for him...

 

[mr.bee]

So Apple is offering substantially more in wage and benefits, Apple is X times bigger than Tesla and yet this article claims that so many employees choose Tesla before Apple.

That's gotta sting

Is the culture and management (getting) so bad at Apple?

 

[k995]

I will tell you this: Tesla is not a "well known" brand. I have pretty much proved that myself.

I'm a Computer Science major and I have gone and given some talks to get more people into Computer Science, and I used Tesla and all its software components as an example. Out of all the talks I have done I can count on one hand how many people have actually heard of Tesla in the crowd. I can just say "And then their is Tesla..." and you can just see the blank stares from everyone wondering what that is. Ask the question how many have heard of it. 99% of the crowd doesn't do a thing. Tesla is not a major well known brand.

We put 3-4 random car manufactures on the street. Lets say: Ferrari, BMW, Lamborghini, and Tesla. Which one will people say they first recognized? I would almost guarantee it would not be Tesla.

http://www.hybridcars.com/consumer-reports-survey-tesla-is-americas-fifth-best-perceived-car-brand/


And what matters is if potential customers know the brand . Tesla doesnt need to be known to the general populace, thats not its target market . Tesla is not VW that sells 20k cars its pointless for them to be known to that market.

perhaps take a class on marketing/sales?

 

[ArcaneDevice]

Tim Cook is building a spaceship campus.

Elon Musk is building spaceships.

I know where I would go.

 

[rish]

Unknown outside US? I must be living in a weird place then, because Tesla is among the most sold vehicles here in Norway. I see tens of them each day and well, I have one myself.

Tesla get huge media exposure here and "everyone" knows about the brand and the Model S.

Yep. Agree with you. While I don't see as many as you account for in Norway in London I've seen half a dozen so far. I've seen then agree at their showroom at least a couple of sales of the Model S. While it comparable to sales in Norway at this point the momentum is building. That's a great thing.

 

[prowlmedia]

Have you heard about the model X or model 3? their delays? They have also delayed their profit guidance up to 2019. They sell some tenths of thousands of niche cars, have enormous debt and operating costs, and have a market cap like they were going to sell millions. Now they've said they're delaying their mainstream vehicles another year or pair of years. By then BMW and others will have their electric range

I'm sorry but Tesla is pure hype for geeks and snobs (in the US), vaporware+bubble stock (and brand).

The Model S is a good car by the way.

And of course they're unknown, do you think the people on forums and car-tech sites represent a big percentage over the whole population?

Complete rubbish. All the other manufacturers versions of electric cars are massive compromises. Even the i3 and i8 only worth getting the range extender version.

Tesla have a market strategy and future and the only ones with the balls enough to actually say no to the oil industry completely and set up their own charging system.

Their sales are insane and as an early investor I've seen nothing but incredible growth and it's sustainable. Not a bubble as you claim. Look at the charts for one thing and $24b market Cap. Of course there is debt involved at the moment - They are setting up a whole ecosystem and factories. Nothing that's not expected. They still remain the only car company to fully repay the loan ($451m) to the government.

As for vapourware, they are building a whole new industry here not a niche single item and cars are complex machines that need to be right first time, there are rarely any second chances. Look at Fisker.

As for brand awareness...
http://blogs.wsj.com/cmo/2014/12/16/tesla-tops-list-of-brands-with-the-most-cultural-traction/

Of course older companies are going to be know more. But Tesla but 2020 will be in the top 20 without a shadow of a doubt.

Actually all your posts in this thread are a complete joke.

"Geeks and snobs in the US"
No it's available and sells very well in the UK and Europe and literally the most advanced car in the world. Nothing touches it. Everyone I know that's driven one, wants it.

Actually why do I care. In 5 years I'll be looking back at this and laughing at you rolling around in my money Scrooge McDuck style.

 

[prowlmedia]

what is BMW i3 range right now? 34 miles?

What about the 140K i8 then??? I think around 40 miles?

yeaaah, a couple of years is not going to happen.

Perhaps you should do a tiny bit of research.

i3 is 90miles electric which makes it a good shopping / runaround / second car.

i3 range extender is 90 miles Electric + 90 miles on the Petrol generator... so you can just fill up as you go.

i8 is 23 miles electric + 287miles on the range extender.

Point is both are pure electric driven cars with fantastic acceleration and a couple of the best cars in the world. I've driven both and the tesla. The tesla is the winner as it incredibly fast - 3.2 seconds 300 mile range and you can fit 7 people in it.

 

[peterdevries]

And of course they're unknown, do you think the people on forums and car-tech sites represent a big percentage over the whole population?

Hi, Amsterdam, The Netherlands here. Out of every 10 taxis there are 1-2 Teslas here. Electric cars are so heavily subsidized here that Teslas are coveted lease cars from middle management and up.

Tesla is starting to become huge here.

----------

Hahaha, please keep this coming. Complete surrealism.

Do you imagine someone not knowing what these emblems mean?

If you consider the concept is similar in form or size with this

Then, I'm sorry, because it's the opposite reality.

No one here is arguing that Tesla is as big a brand as Ferrari or Mercedes. What we are saying is that Tesla is now a big and well-known brand. Is it so difficult for you to admit that you made a wrong statement?

 

[Gym Hellwig]

We must know the racial demographics of these employees. Is Tesla stealing a diverse crop of Apple employees or is it only evil white people?

Al Sharpton needs to get to the bottom of this, pronto.