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How important is Steve Jobs to the iPhone's future success?
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Agreed. I wouldn't worry about the product quality dipping due to his absence. What worries me is the stock price dipping. I didn't invest in Apple just because of Jobs but, like that poster above you, many investors do think he IS Apple.
I don't know. Apple completely tanked when Jobs was kicked out and didn't recover until he was back at the helm. It's different nowadays with their clear product line and vision but I think everyone can agree that at Apple, the buck stops at Jobs. That's definitely a contributing factor of their success.
Apple is Jobs and Jobs is Apple, it's simple as that.
He is the face of the company, he is the charismatic leader with a grand vision that all the Apple fans love.
Steve is not only a visionary though, he is a preventer as well, a preventer of bad management, bad decisions, bad influences and of the team falling apart.
Once he retires, Apple will become, much, much looser.
He is the face of the company, he is the charismatic leader with a grand vision that all the Apple fans love.
Steve is not only a visionary though, he is a preventer as well, a preventer of bad management, bad decisions, bad influences and of the team falling apart.
Once he retires, Apple will become, much, much looser.
Apple isn't going anywhere but Apple will start to look more like everyone else in the tech sector when he is gone.
keep in mind, Jobs is the the idea man that came up with all the stuff Apple has been doing, he thought an iPod like device before he ousted the first time around. there will be an obvious vacuum once he leaves.
keep in mind, Jobs is the the idea man that came up with all the stuff Apple has been doing, he thought an iPod like device before he ousted the first time around. there will be an obvious vacuum once he leaves.
Steve is like peanut butter to the iPhone's chocolate. 2 great tastes that taste great together!
Wrong, Apple isn't Jobs and Jobs isn't Apple.
When Steve came back he was smart enough to bring in people and surround himself with other great minds, it's just that Jobs gets all the credit. Apple will be find if Jobs does or doesn't come back.
Correct. Apple is basically a giant tech company made up of some of the world's greatest engineers, scientists and leaders. Jobs is visionary, he's smart, and I'm sure they've already found a successor. They're not stupid. They plan these things out.
iPhone will be fine. It's a product that's been out for a while and is undergoing further refinement. Apple knows exactly what is going into iPhone 5 (of course) and probably has a good view of iPhone 6. Similarly, iPad 2 is in the can, and iPad 3 is under development.
However, the real problem is defining Apple's next big hit product. What is the next thing Apple will do after the iPad? This has alway been where Jobs had the biggest impact: defining the next big product and being the driving force behind its development.
However, the real problem is defining Apple's next big hit product. What is the next thing Apple will do after the iPad? This has alway been where Jobs had the biggest impact: defining the next big product and being the driving force behind its development.
I'm sure they've already found a successor. They're not stupid. They plan these things out.
Successor != replacement
You can't just go to a headhunter and say, "Find me another Steve Jobs!" Does Apple have people in place that have a future vision and uncompromising drive to pursue it like Jobs does? Will someone at Apple step up and fill the big shoes? Only time will tell ...
True, and while not a major issue, it's something Apple will have to look after - redefining stale/ dying, or even creating new markets. A few analysts think "the next big thing" could be an actual Apple TV, unlike the little black box they offer now.
Correct. Apple is basically a giant tech company made up of some of the world's greatest engineers, scientists and leaders. Jobs is visionary, he's smart, and I'm sure they've already found a successor. They're not stupid. They plan these things out.
if it were only that easy, the issue isn't whether they have engineering talent or management talent, every year there is an influx of new talent from colleges and universities, but do they have the visionary to replace Steve. you don't find a visionary just off the shelf. and i'm not just talking about an inventor or someone who can come up with a gadget, but someone who can bring it all together and see how things can be made to fit together, and not just things that exist today but 5 years from now or even 10 years from now. that is the piece that is missing from most of these other tech companies. they all have good engineers and have good ideas but few have a Steve Jobs type who can put it all together.
Again, Apple (I'm sure) has thought about all this. Do you really think they're that dumb?
Less eventful and appealing keynotes. Not as revolutionary and magical anymore. Apple will still be around, but the marketing and anticipation for keynotes will be a little stale and unappealing. It won't be like the 1990's for Apple seeing their current success. But without him, they still wouldn't be as appealing than with him. His charisma is the product's marketing and brainwashing. He has a pretty good sense of humor and even relaxing voice.
i'm sure they have thought about it, especially with just about every analyst point it out to them. but like i said it isn't that easy, if it were as easy as simply thinking and planning for it then every single company in Silicon Valley would have a Steve Jobs on the payroll doing the same thing Steve does for Apple. fact is these types of guys are 1 in a generation. and don't get me wrong the guy isn't perfect, he is pretty screwed up but that is what allows him to be that visionary
no one disputes apple doesn't have a "successor" to take over Steve's office, that is the easy part. what remains to be seen is if they have another guy who can have be the visionary and not just the visionary but the visionary who can convince the consumer that his vision is the correct one
The only person who can pick a sucessor will be Jobs. No one else at Apple completely understands what is needed for a visionary. Steve Jobs is one in a billion.
[EDIT] Exactly, tritonj.
.....Thanks for agreeing with me, that's exactly what I said.
Jobs was the one that brought in the right people and made everything work, once he is gone, it will all fall apart.