High School Student Interviewed Apple CEO Tim Cook

[MacRumors]

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently took the time out of his busy schedule to do an interview with high school student Rebecca Kahn, and her account of the interview was shared today by the National Center for Women & Information Technology as part of a new "Innovator to Innovator" series to celebrate the upcoming 2018 Aspirations in Computing Awards.

Kahn says that she first emailed Cook when tasked with interviewing a person of interest in technology during her computer class at Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, South Carolina. She wasn't expecting a response, but Cook read her email and agreed to do the interview with her.

Kahn and Cook discussed several topics that are regular favorites of Cook's, including the importance of learning to code at a young age, advocating for more women in tech leadership roles, and the importance for companies to treat everybody with "dignity and respect."

Cook told Kahn that his aim in life is to "work for some higher purpose" that he sees as his "North Star," a goal that has influenced his time at Apple.

Apple is "all about doing just a few things, but the few things that we do, we want to make the very best in the world. Because we believe those make a much larger difference in the world than if we were to focus on just making the most."

While he openly admits to his failures, Tim also optimistically regards them as lessons to avoid repeating. Whenever he feels discouraged, he tells himself to "keep your eye on your North Star, and keep moving" because the "worst thing to do would be to fail and quit. Failure is just temporary, but quitting lasts forever."

Kahn's full account of her interview with Cook, which covers more thoughts from Cook and her impression of the Apple CEO is available on the Aspirations in Computing site.

It was a pleasure talking to you, @rebeccaekahn! Looking forward to more conversations between Apple and the bright young minds at @NCWITAIC. https://t.co/mFIZlMats0 - Tim Cook (@tim_cook) January 16, 2018

The National Center for Women & Information Technology plans to share additional conversations that Apple executives have had with Aspirations in Computing community members in future additions to the "Innovator to Innovator" series.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: High School Student Interviewed Apple CEO Tim Cook

 

[farewelwilliams]

The North Star = Mac Pro

 

[826317]

I'm tired of seeing this liberal/far-left BS. Women specific organisation for what? Women are the most privileged group of people in American society..

 

[z970]

I'm tired of seeing this liberal/far-left BS. Women specific organisation for what? Women are the most privileged group of people in American society..

Glad someone finally said it.

I'm unimaginably drained of this propaganda as well... It's not 1880, or even 1960.

Damn leftists and their identity politics.

 

[341328]

Didn't read but as if a high school student is ever going to say something negative and risk never getting an interview ever again.

 

[cmwade77]

I'm tired of seeing this liberal/far-left BS. Women specific organisation for what? Women are the most privileged group of people in American society..

Can't say that I completely disagree, but I do think Tim had one thing right, companies should treat everyone with dignity and respect. That means, employees, customers, male, female, white, black and quite literally everyone else. Do this would do a lot, but that would also mean that companies wouldn't do things like slow phones down without notifying the user, etc.

 

[Smearbrick]

I'm tired of seeing this liberal/far-left BS. Women specific organisation for what? Women are the most privileged group of people in American society..

Yes, because being a man in the U.S. is terrible.

Privileged? I think you are confusing that with being treated equal to men.

 

[BootsWalking]

Next time you're inclined to believe anything Tim Cook has to say about something:

Apple CEO Tim Cook’s privacy letter is a huge shot at Google
http://fortune.com/2015/09/29/apple-tim-cook-google/

All the while:

Google is paying Apple billions per year to remain on the iPhone, Bernstein says
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/14/goo...lion-to-remain-default-search--bernstein.html

 

[826317]

Yes, because being a man in the U.S. is terrible.

Privileged? I think you are confusing that with being treated equal to men.

Are you one of those types who cares about how many women are in a certain position of power rather than having the best person for the job?

 

[d-b]

Coding sucks. On your deathbed you are never gonna regret that you didn't spend more time coding.

Does Cook himself know how to code? If not, his frequent nagging that young people should learn to code is pretty hypocritical.

 

[miniyou64]

I personally refuse to buy tech products from companies that do not hire exactly half male employees and half female employees, meet or exceed race quotas in each of these groups and pay everyone exactly the same regardless of their position, experience or skills.

 

[rtomyj]

Yes, because being a man in the U.S. is terrible.

Privileged? I think you are confusing that with being treated equal to men.

He does have a point. Right now women are pretty well off. Vote like a man, get any job like a man, etc etc. But they kept all the things woman had over men. Paid maternity leave, getting custody of children, easier time than men in rape cases where they're the victims, etc etc. Equality is a myth. No one is equal. But laws that are for one sex should apply to the other. No picking and choosing.

 

[JosephAW]

Hopefully they didn't ask what his favorite color was. /s

 

[tevion5]

He does have a point. Right now women are pretty well off. Vote like a man, get any job like a man, etc etc. But they kept all the things woman had over men. Paid maternity leave, getting custody of children, easier time than men in rape cases where they're the victims, etc etc. Equality is a myth. No one is equal. But laws that are for one sex should apply to the other. No picking and choosing.

Dude take it easy. Nobody has an easy life, but being a man is not tougher than being a woman overall in countries like the USA. Guys don’t have to put up with daily bs that women do. Harassment, condescension, dating double standards, heavy physical appearance scrutiny even from a young age...

Really for any guys here who may feel resentment toward some gender equality laws, I really suggest actually speaking to your females friends about some of this stuff. Don’t get all your info from YouTube videos and online sources. Much of this stuff gets overblown in the media.

I think the law should be fairer to men for custody. And I think maternity leave would be split between men and women equally.

And I’m not some SJW hard core feminist. I find some of those types over the top and counter productive. But let’s have a little perspective.

I’m a guy. Being a woman isn’t dreadful, but I’m not jealous.

Peace out, whatever your gender! ✌

 

[Seoras]

I'm tired of seeing this liberal/far-left BS. Women specific organisation for what? Women are the most privileged group of people in American society..

I'm tired of this right wing, fascist, resurgence being allowed to grow without fear now that we're almost 2 generations away from the war that was supposed to have put an end to their inhumanity. Their soulless hatred of anything good in the world.
To those who stand in-between and don't want to get involved. That's what happened in the 1930's, too many said nothing and did nothing.
If you want to "honour the memories" who those who gave up their life for their country then stop either a) doing nothing or b) supporting them.

The most privileged group of people in American society are white, male, own 99% of the wealth and don't pay taxes (& probably most think sexual assault is their birth right).

 

[SirithX]

I'm tired of seeing this liberal/far-left BS. Women specific organisation for what? Women are the most privileged group of people in American society..

Wrong, especially in Silicon Valley – there's still rampant sexism and female under-representation in the tech industry particularly. This is recognized by several civic and non-partisan organizations, and isn't some "leftist conspiracy".

I'll go ahead and assume you aren't a woman. I don't know any woman who would say what you posted.

 

[tevion5]

Whatever your political leaning, there’s something weird about middle class white men feeling they’re oppressed in America.

 

[Eorlas]

I'm tired of seeing this liberal/far-left BS. Women specific organisation for what? Women are the most privileged group of people in American society..

Tell that to the women who were passed up for roles in LOTR because they didn't let Harvey Weinstein into their pants.

Tell that to the women who clutch cans of mace on their way back from work or school at night because they're afraid of someone forcing their way into their pants.

Tell that to the woman who was dragged behind a dumpster and raped by Brock Turner, had to repeat the story to police, lawyers, and a judge, and now might have to go back and do it all over again because his family thinks the sentencing was too harsh. Don't forget his dad said this could ruin his son's future.

Ask her how much privilege she thinks women have.

 

[z970]

On another note, wow, we came from Tim Cook's interview to privilege, fascism, and gender "equality".

I am impressed.

 

[Kajje]

Good for her!

The girl will be always remembered being the one that interviewed Cook. I hope she'll take advantage about that - for what it's worth - and wish her all the best in her future career!

Yes it's good PR for Apple but hey, this student got the time of her life and nobody can take that away, never.

 

[thadoggfather]

He said Merkel is a fantastic leader

:O

Cook Is all in on globalism

 

[123]

Wrong, especially in Silicon Valley – there's still rampant sexism and female under-representation in the tech industry particularly.

Did you not get the Google memo? Nailed it 100%. But then, outrage and misrepresentation. For stating scientific facts. If this is not ********, I don't know what is.

I'll go ahead and assume you aren't a woman. I don't know any woman who would say what you posted.

Probably because, by now, women have learnt that everything must be to their advantage.

 

[Swampthing]

I'm tired of seeing this liberal/far-left BS. Women specific organisation for what? Women are the most privileged group of people in American society..

WOW. What an incredibly backward, stereotypical divisive rant. Amazing how much self-entitlement and boldness the "alt right" feels they have these days to challenge everything as though everyone has always been equal... when in fact the Right were the same ones making sure things weren't equal all these years. Now women try to get a better foothold in society, and the Right calls it ultra liberal babble...

WOW.

 

[cuencap]

I personally refuse to buy tech products from companies that do not hire exactly half male employees and half female employees, meet or exceed race quotas in each of these groups and pay everyone exactly the same regardless of their position, experience or skills.

What services did you use to write this letter and mail it to someone to transcribe and post at MR? Very impressive feat for someone who has never purchased a tech product!

 

[swingerofbirch]

I will give him this, he actually said something new: Failure is just temporary, but quitting lasts forever.

It wasn't something new about tech, but at least it's new in his rotation of aphorisms that are usually: DNA, North Star, being best not first, thinking deeply, etc.