Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

[HiVolt]

There's no way a guy like that at stage of his life and wealth works 80 hours a week.

Also depends what you call "working".

Anyway I always hoped that Schiller would be the one that succeded Jobs. He at least has a charisma and a personality, unlike Cook who has the personality and charisma of a potted plant.

 

[Supercyborgninja]

That’s not anything impressive or commendable.

You’ve got all this money and whatnot..and instead of spending time with family and taking advantage of your security…

You’re basically a slave to a job. To me that’s a red flag in personality.

 

[ric22]

How can so many posters fail to read and comprehend a simple article? He did retire, He's not running the department, He works those hours because he wants to. Those that say no one should work that long, should be thankful there are, because they support your fluffy lifestyle. Not to mention save your life. Medical and trauma employees would love only 80 hours.

Yes lots of people work that much and more in worse conditions. This article isn't about them. Write one and submit it if you care that much about whataboutism.

It does not matter if anyone wants to, for any reason, in any industry, ever. Employers should forbid it.

And no, I didn't read the article 😅

Edit: Let's talk about this utter bull**** you spouted- "Medical and trauma employees would love only 80 hours." I have friends and family in such roles, and this is not a worldwide thing. Maybe in some parts of the US if TV dramas are to be believed? If any medical professional is doing that in emergency medicine they're risking lives.

 

[citysnaps]

and if Phil delegated to people who are equally as passionate about keeping the app store locked, people here would whinge again.

Yep. I suspect many here who can't fathom working long hours in tech have never personally experienced entrepreneurism. That's pretty much how many successful companies in Silicon Valley started and got off the ground. Thank god there are people who have embraced that when necessary.

 

[imtoretto]

Yet we don't hear Phil bragging or complaining about it.

yet, i dont have have an apple logo tattoo on my back.

 

[bviktor]

He's still overpaid.

Ah, the good old folks who don't understand that executives' salaries aren't counted in hourly rates.

 

[StralyanPithecus]

Phill, inefficiency is calling you.

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

When someone like Phil says they work 80 hours a week. It’s a lie.

 

[diggy33]

Hats off to him. When I was much younger, I worked a job that was rotating shifts and would work a lot of OT because the extra pay was great. ONE week I ended up working 72 hours, and I was completely wrecked come the weekend, and slept for about 14 hours Friday night in to Saturday, and still felt sluggish. I didnt work more than 50 hours a week from then on.

 

[TracesOfArsenic]

80 hours a week and the AppStore looks like it does? You've got the wrong person.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

Phil is drunk on power, waging war against governments and seeking monopoly rents all over the place.

Time for him and Cook to retire.

 

[outlawarth]

I see at least 3 Hours a day at the food table…

Top comment.

 

[mdriftmeyer]

Maybe he can get that innovative ass going and put out a decent product! Anyone else tired of the relentless updates? M series chips with an unfixable flaw?

Unfixable flaws have been part of Intel CPUs for decades. They mitigate these issues because the hardware has mistakes in design. All CPU designers are fallible. This goes back to the earliest CPU designs.

 

[aj_niner]

If Phil was WFH, had a household staff that did his house hold chores like cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping, etc then he can do 12hr days.

If he enjoys the work then he'll never have to "work" a day in his life.

Since 2002 my HQ was 30.5km (75 mins) of public/toll roads.

During COVID I was able to relocate it to 3.5km (8 mins) of private roads.

Both places has free parking. I still visit 30.5km away weekly.

Quality of life improved. I can wake up at the same time previously and arrive at work more than an hour earlier.

Office has 1Gbps fiber which is the same as home so I can do MR.

If Phil had a better commute and spent <10 mins driving each way then he'd have no problem working 80hr weeks.

Assuming 6 working days in a week then that's ~13hrs/day.. Sleeps ~7-8hrs/day then he can do good things.

Another thing to consider is how does Apple define "work"? Is eating with 3rd party app devs part of work?

 

[CarAnalogy]

and if Phil delegated to people who are equally as passionate about keeping the app store locked, people here would whinge again.

all i can see is a hope that cutting his workload or involvement will free things up.
that may not be the case. depends who he employs to follow through with bits he delegates.

I don't know who the second part of that was in reply to, but you do make a good point here. His successor would no doubt have his approval, so it's possible it could even get worse.

 

[AriaAmaris]

The problem with apps is simple, privacy. I limit the apps I install because I don’t want to give someone access to my phone that I don’t even know or trust. Downloading an app is like giving the app developer the keys to your data. That’s the problem with the App Store. Make it so the user can opt out or drastically limit what the app developer can access.

 

[Chaos215bar2]

I thought we had got to the point where we realise that quality over quantity is better every time. One of my workplaces had to send out warnings to people who were doing too many hours... because some people took it to the extreme and ended up having car accidents. It was absolutely serious.

I'm pretty sure numerous studies have shown that there is an optimum number of hours for peak efficiency and performance. You end up getting to the point of diminishing returns and actually making serious mistakes.

It is also key to be able to switch off... that means no reading emails at 3:20 AM, no sending texts at 1:40 AM or taking calls at 6:00 to 7:00 AM while you're trying to have breakfast etc

There have been studies coming out showing that for “knowledge work” at least, a 4 day work week can actually improve productivity. Which honestly isn’t all that surprising. Having real time to spend on yourself and your family during the week means less stress at work, which increases productivity. I can absolutely believe the increase is enough to make up for a 20% reduction in work hours.

There are exceptions to every rule of course. I’m sure a small handful of people legitimately enjoy their job so much they like working 80 hours and don’t suffer for it. (Personally, anyway. I’d hate to be the spouse or kid of someone who works like that.) But I strongly believe that management should strive to set an example by creating clear boundaries to their work life that are only to be crossed under extreme and unusual circumstances.

 

[HandsomeDanNZ]

So what I am reading is that he's either a micromanager, who isn't doing his job of directing strategy from the blue sky, or they're so grossly understaffed that he has to get on the tools and work two jobs - exec and staff.
Either way, 80hrs a week is nothing to be proud of.

There's life beyond work and clearly he hasn't got the memo.

 

[citysnaps]

If Phil loves his job and likes working those hours, that's his business and more power too him. It's bizarre so many people here get chumed up and take issue with that. Don't worry about what others enjoy doing. I suspect those criticizing the most have never worked in an environment where long hours are not unusual. I guess it's just something else related to Apple to get outraged about.

 

[MistrSynistr]

If any of you believe this …. lol

 

[Surf Monkey]

This whole article is BS Apple propaganda. There’s no way in hell Schiller works 80 hours a week on the App Store. None.

 

[rjp1]

I mean if you’re going to lie at least say he works 25 hours a day, 8 days a week.

 

[jdawgnoonan]

Anyone who makes as much as Phil Schiller might be willing to do that. I have a pretty good IT job, but in the combined years I have until retirement I will not make even a quarter of what he makes a year. I probably won't make 1/25th of what he makes per year in the next ten years. So good for him. Poor guy gives up so much to be able to retire at any time of his choosing. As an Apple user I appreciate the fruit of his labor, but it isn't like it is some altruistic kind of thing that he does, regardless of how well he does do it.

 

[chouseworth]

When someone like Phil says they work 80 hours a week. It’s a lie.

I worked with Tim Cook at IBM for about ten years. He worked an average of 75-85 hours per week during that time. I have no doubt he does about the same today. One of the hardest working, and most focused, people I have ever been around.

 

[Bigkool2inSC]

Does going to long lunches / dinners and calling them meetings count as part of the 80 hours a week?

Or is he saying, wearing his work clothes for 80 hours a week is the same as working 80 hours a week?