Apple needs to grow beyond Jobs to be successful without him. It would be a shame if they faltered once Steve was unable to fulfill his duties as genius at the helm.
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Jonathan Ive in Line to Succeed Steve Jobs?
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I believe it happened a while back. If it's true, let's hope Ive is better at the job than Scully
Leading an industrial design team is nothing like being a CEO. I'm sure Enron had some charismatic people onboard... Some people are wise enough to know what they're good at.
Anyway, this prospect is at least 5-10 years away unless Steve Jobs takes on a different role that's not so hands-on. Yeah, likely.
Whether is Ive is a likely successor or not, it's comforting to believe that Apple's board is considering a plan for the post-Steve era. I often wonder if Steve has the ability tamp his ego down enough to think seriously about grooming a worthy successor. This plan needs to be in place. I mean, look what happened at Microsoft. A scary thought, isn't it.
None of this matters. Jobs has a good 100 years left in him. That's based on my assumption that he'd want at least 100 years to enjoy his retirement. If not, then he may be around even longer
Steve Jobs is the REASON that made me LOVE Apple & its products.
I love this man very very much, and my feelings towards him are sincere.
I never cared about celebrities, but If I have the chance to meet a celebrity, I would choose my hero Mr. Jobs.
Apple without Steve, is like a planet with no water.
It would really sadden me to see him retire and leave the industry, and I hope that day never comes.
I love this man very very much, and my feelings towards him are sincere.
I never cared about celebrities, but If I have the chance to meet a celebrity, I would choose my hero Mr. Jobs.
Apple without Steve, is like a planet with no water.
It would really sadden me to see him retire and leave the industry, and I hope that day never comes.
In my working life, my boss used to hand out a piece of paper every two years which basically asked you to list down who would do what in case you were "run over by a bus". Contingency plans are very important, particularly at the top. I would hate to think that Apple would have to go "panic shopping" for a new CEO should (heaven forbid) something sudden happen to Steve.
Wut? Ive is almost as old as Jobs with only some ten years or so seperating them. Why would they replace an old fart with another?
incomplete knowledge
Jonthan Ive is a design guru. But he has little background in the nitty gritty of software design or computer hardware design (the innards). While Steve Jobs is not an engineer himself, he has participated in major engineering decisions for almost 30 years.
Do you see Jonathan Ive making decisions about turning the OS in Next into the foundation of a new Mac OS? Do you see him as the driver for converting to Intel? What about business decisions such as jumping into music and video?
Also, Jobs is only 52. The question of succession will not be material for 10 more years, unless his cancer returns.
Jonthan Ive is a design guru. But he has little background in the nitty gritty of software design or computer hardware design (the innards). While Steve Jobs is not an engineer himself, he has participated in major engineering decisions for almost 30 years.
Do you see Jonathan Ive making decisions about turning the OS in Next into the foundation of a new Mac OS? Do you see him as the driver for converting to Intel? What about business decisions such as jumping into music and video?
Also, Jobs is only 52. The question of succession will not be material for 10 more years, unless his cancer returns.
Sounds like nonsense to me.
Besides, Ive's hasn't been as publicly visible recently - if there was any plan for the future I would expect that person to shown to the public, like Phil Schiller has. I don't think Phil Schiller would be good enough either, unfortunately.
Besides, Ive's hasn't been as publicly visible recently - if there was any plan for the future I would expect that person to shown to the public, like Phil Schiller has. I don't think Phil Schiller would be good enough either, unfortunately.
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I'd be very happy with this decision. Ive would be a great compitant CEO. Apple definitely does need a post-Jobs plan. He personifies Apple, which is great but poses a problem for when he leaves.
I'd be very happy with this decision. Ive would be a great compitant CEO. Apple definitely does need a post-Jobs plan. He personifies Apple, which is great but poses a problem for when he leaves.
Heir to the Throne
Well of course, if someone succeeds Steve Jobs it will one of his offsprings. He has four children. One of them should be old enough when he retires.
Well of course, if someone succeeds Steve Jobs it will one of his offsprings. He has four children. One of them should be old enough when he retires.
Hardly "old farts." More like "adults."
Old farts, adults...what's the difference? Are you an 'adult'? Is that why you're offended?
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He can design, but how does that make him suddenly able to run a large business?
He can design, but how does that make him suddenly able to run a large business?
Old farts, adults...what's the difference? Are you an 'adult'? Is that why you're offended?
Offended? Moi? Hardly! AARP membership status notwithstanding, I take joy in seeing my peers succeed and provide all you whippersnappers the goodies we never had...
Well, it's axiomatic, but the reason it will be so hard to replace Steve Jobs is because there's no one out there like Steve Jobs. There are people who may have one or two of Jobs's traits, but to find another person with the vision, the perfectionism, the ability to *constructively* use the dictatorial power necessary to convert ideas to products, the love of design, the courage to stand up to people like Bill Gates (especially a decade ago, when Microsoft dwarfed Apple), the sense of fun and challenge (and impishness) to target people like Michael Dell (Jobs's famous Macworld comment about going after Dell...) as a motivating technique and rallying cry, the technical knowledge, the media savvy, the showmanship, the ability to bend people to his will (Jobs's "reality distortion field"), the intolerance for mediocrity, the resilience to overcome serious setbacks... Plus, Jobs was one of the company's founders, so... Well, you get the idea.
To paraphrase, there's a saying that "a zebra is a horse designed by a committee." Without one strong, effective voice (and vision), there is too much compromise, such that the final product becomes a bastardization of the original idea and ideal.
All that being said, I have no idea whether Ive would make a good CEO. I would imagine that the most enviable position--and the least enviable position--any business person could aspire to would be to succeed Steve Jobs.
To paraphrase, there's a saying that "a zebra is a horse designed by a committee." Without one strong, effective voice (and vision), there is too much compromise, such that the final product becomes a bastardization of the original idea and ideal.
All that being said, I have no idea whether Ive would make a good CEO. I would imagine that the most enviable position--and the least enviable position--any business person could aspire to would be to succeed Steve Jobs.
Of course this applies only to Steve Jobs v2. I suppose after a fashion it was also true of Jobs v1, but I don't think anybody would be professing any love for that Jobs iteration or for his irreplaceability. How he could be such a disaster in his first go-round at Apple, and so brilliant on the second try, is one of those miracles that people will be writing about for many years to come.
I think that's the key. Jobs is Apple's chief cheerleader and salesperson. That's a more difficult position to replace than a designer. It's one thing to design beautiful hardware; it's another thing to get the public to buy it.
And I don't know why but I somehow heard that Ives left Apple (which obviously isn't true). I'm wondering if a lot of this discussion stems from Jobs' bout with cancer a few years ago. With a company as huge as Apple has become, it's only prudent to plan for the future.