Swift Creator Chris Lattner Leaves Tesla After Only Six Months in the Job

[MacRumors]

Swift creator Chris Lattner, who left Apple to become vice president of Tesla's autopilot program, has parted ways with the electric car maker after just six months in the job.

"Chris just wasn't the right fit for Tesla, and we've decided to make a change," Tesla said Tuesday, according to The Wall Street Journal. Lattner followed Tesla's statement with a post on his Twitter account announcing his interest in available roles for a "seasoned engineering leader".

The parting of ways will come as a surprise to some observers, given Lattner's previous standing at Apple and his stated enthusiasm for a new challenge. Back in January, Lattner told MacRumors how much he loved writing code at Apple, and that leaving had been a "very difficult decision" but ultimately he was "ready to move onto something else" and the prospect of working on Tesla's Autopilot team was "irresistible".

Turns out that Tesla isn't a good fit for me after all. I'm interested to hear about interesting roles for a seasoned engineering leader! - Chris Lattner (@clattner_llvm) 21 June 2017

However, as noted by WSJ, Lattner is just the latest departure in an recent exodus of talent from the program, which has been under increasing pressure from Tesla CEO Elon Musk to develop an autonomous car system, with a company target to demonstrate a car that can drive itself by the end of 2017 inching ever closer.

The program has also faced questions about the safety of the proposed technology, following a fatal crash last year in Florida involving a Tesla equipped with a semiautonomous system, which assists drivers during tasks like steering, braking, and changing lanes.

Lattner's hiring in January coincided with the departure of Autopilot program director Sterling Anderson. Tesla sued Anderson after he tried to create a competing startup, but the lawsuit was settled in April.

Article Link: Swift Creator Chris Lattner Leaves Tesla After Only Six Months in the Job

 

[vmachiel]

O wow, who will snatch him up? I can only imagine he's a pretty wanted employee.

 

[djcerla]

Elon's vanity hire went south sooner than expected.

 

[mejsric]

He is spying.

 

[newyorksole]

This whole situation is weird to me. He left the largest company in the world to got to Tesla, left after 6 months and now wants someone else to hire him?

I'm sure he got a lot of info from Tesla. Isn't the next company going to be a little weary of hiring him?

You would think people would be skeptical. He just seems carefree.

 

[bkkcanuck8]

He quit? Tesla said he was not a good fit, something that they would not have volunteered to the press if Chris Lattner had quit. They would have said something like, we are sorry to see him leave, etc.

I actually was surprised at him going there in that position in the first place (and was roundly told by some Apple fanboys that he was a god and not to question).... since he has more experience in compilers, tools etc. but I could find no history of AI or Machine Learning (I could be wrong on that one). I have always been impressed with the work he did with regards to LLVM and it's creation, found him to be a little hard headed with regards to Swift direction -- and felt he might be a square peg with a history of being in icon at his existing company.... going into a round hole. So I am not surprised it did not work out, just surprised it was this quick.
[doublepost=1498042129][/doublepost]

This whole situation is weird to me. He left the largest company in the world to got to Tesla, left after 6 months and now wants someone else to hire him?

I'm sure he got a lot of info from Tesla. Isn't the next company going to be a little weary of hiring him?

You would think people would be skeptical. He just seems carefree.

I doubt he voluntarily "left".... he was just a bad fit and it took Tesla 6 months to figure it out.... does not mean that he would be a bad hire for another company in another position. There is no doubt that in certain areas he is very talented.
[doublepost=1498042237][/doublepost]The company also commented on Lattner’s departure:

“Chris just wasn’t the right fit for Tesla, and we’ve decided to make a change. We wish him the best.”
[doublepost=1498042804][/doublepost]Worse case scenario, Tesla will be an interesting acquisition when another company perfects autonomous driving

 

[Rogifan]

But I thought Apple was doomed because he went to Tesla.

 

[JosephAW]

Well, there's an open desk in the server room at Apple. The last guy was dismissed when he unplugged the servers to make way for his bonsai fountain.

 

[atomic.flip]

Yeah, no. He didn't quit. As another posted mentioned earlier Tesla wouldn't have volunteered the "not a good fit" statement had he been eligible for rehire. Which is a very polite way of saying, "we aren't interested in this person and have let him go".

Also, no one in their right mind quits a job without another lined up, unless there's a major issue with the current position they're in. This affair will make him far less palatable a hire to many companies but I'm sure there's bound to be someone who's willing to snatch him up. It's not like he lacks talent as a developer.

 

[960design]

O wow, who will snatch him up? I can only imagine he's a pretty wanted employee.

const grass !== greener

 

[bitfactory]

const grass !== greener

In a story about Chris, you should have used 'let'.

 

[5105973]

Tesla's wording of it made it sound like they fired him, as they put it as "we've decided to make a change." Although that "we" could be referring to a mutual decision, but it's questionable.

A bad fit doesn't mean someone is a bad employee. I wish him luck finding a new job soon that's a better fit.

 

[stevet]

I like how the headline makes it sound like he chose to leave.

 

[Kabeyun]

However, as noted by WSJ, Lattner is just the latest departure in an recent exodus of talent from the program, which has been under increasing pressure from Tesla CEO Elon Musk to develop an autonomous car system, with a company target to demonstrate a car that can drive itself by the end of 2017 inching ever closer.

Tangentially, I'm not sure I see the advantage of rushing to an arbitrary deadline a completely self-driving vehicle.

 

[stevet]

But I thought Apple was doomed because he went to Tesla.

Laughing at someone else's firing is obnoxious. Just because he wasn't good at managing and Autopilot program doesn't mean it wasn't a loss for Apple when he left.

 

[Mescagnus]

Apple should now rehire him, he has intel on Tesla's autopilot program. But my hunch is that he'll end up at Google.

 

[neliason]

One problem with the corporate world is just because you are brilliant in a particular skill doesn't make you a good leader. But to advance in prestige and salary you generally have to be in a leadership role. I have no reason to believe this was an issue here but it is always a possibility.

 

[Madmic23]

Is this where Apple hires him back with a brain full of Tesla information and puts him on the Apple Car project?

 

[Mr. Dee]

Go back to Apple and stick there. I am sure he would fit into more traditional engineering company's like Google, Facebook, Twitter, so many others.

 

[Sasparilla]

Wow that didn't work. Since he was well liked at Apple and did good work, they should not be averse to considering him...no reason to let Google or someone walk off with him. JMHO....

 

[bkkcanuck8]

Wow that didn't work. Since he was well liked at Apple and did good work, they should not be averse to considering him...no reason to let Google or someone walk off with him. JMHO....

It is not always that easy. There are things like the department has moved on, new people have stepped in and probably excelled in those positions.... (i.e. can he step back in and be ok playing second fiddle to some other person who is now in charge and setting direction). Chris' expectations may now be set higher as a starting point.... so really it is all about seeing if there is something that fits now.... not in the past.

 

[Law44]

Swift creator Chris Lattner, who left Apple to become vice president of Tesla's autopilot program, has parted ways with the electric car maker after just six months in the job.

"Chris just wasn't the right fit for Tesla, and we've decided to make a change," Tesla said Tuesday, according to The Wall Street Journal. Lattner followed Tesla's statement with a post on his Twitter account announcing his interest in available roles for a "seasoned engineering leader".

The parting of ways will come as a surprise to some observers, given Lattner's previous standing at Apple and his stated enthusiasm for a new challenge. Back in January, Lattner told MacRumors how much he loved writing code at Apple, and that leaving had been a "very difficult decision" but ultimately he was "ready to move onto something else" and the prospect of working on Tesla's Autopilot team was "irresistible".

​

However, as noted by WSJ, Lattner is just the latest departure in an recent exodus of talent from the program, which has been under increasing pressure from Tesla CEO Elon Musk to develop an autonomous car system, with a company target to demonstrate a car that can drive itself by the end of 2017 inching ever closer.

The program has also faced questions about the safety of the proposed technology, following a fatal crash last year in Florida involving a Tesla equipped with a semiautonomous system, which assists drivers during tasks like steering, braking, and changing lanes.

Lattner's hiring in January coincided with the departure of Autopilot program director Sterling Anderson. Tesla sued Anderson after he tried to create a competing startup, but the lawsuit was settled in April.

Article Link: Swift Creator Chris Lattner Leaves Tesla After Only Six Months in the Job

He was probably just a mole for apple

 

[bkkcanuck8]

He was probably just a mole for apple

There are lots of people moving back and forth between Tesla and Apple -- one more "mole" not really of any consequence...

 

[miknos]

He is spying.

He's not the CEO of Nokia.

 

[bkkcanuck8]

But I thought Apple was doomed because he went to Tesla.

Ha, the jokes on them [Tesla].... in just 6 months an [Apple] employee... has doomed Tesla....

Sort of a cursed object.... from being at Apple too long....