Ex-Apple marketing guru Kawasaki signs on as Motorola consultant

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Guy Kawasaki, former Apple evangelist, announced on Wednesday that he would be taking on an advising position at Google-owned Motorola, saying the troubled smartphone manufacturer is ripe for innovation much in the same way that industry giant Apple was back in 1998.

iMacs
Former Apple evangelist and Apple Fellow Guy Kawasaki. Image via Wikipedia.


In a post (via Android Authority) to the fan page for his books, Kawasaki revealed that he had accepted an advising position at Motorola. He will be focusing on product design, user interface, marketing, and social media.

"Motorola reminds me of the Apple of 1998," Kawasaki wrote, "a pioneer in its market segment, engineering-driven, and ripe for innovation. I believe that great products can change everything. For example, the creation of the iMac G3 [...] was a pivotal event for Apple."

Kawasaki was not a long-time employee of Apple, working with the company for a four-year stint beginning in 1983. He was, though, originally responsible for marketing the Macintosh in 1984. He left the company in 1987 to lead a software company, but returned in 1995 as an Apple Fellow, acknowledged as an individual who had made an extraordinary technical or leadership contribution to personal computing while at the company. The Apple Fellowship, so far, has only been awarded to nine individuals, including Kawasaki, Bill Atkinson, Steve Capps, Rich Page, and Steve Wozniak.

In joining Motorola as an adviser, Kawasaki will be taking part in an effort that Google hopes will revitalize the once-great cell phone manufacturer. Google is working on a supposedly game-changing phone with Motorola. Google's aim, reportedly, is to build Motorola into a more viable Android manufacturer, one that can serve as a counterbalance to Samsung's increasing sway over the Android ecosystem.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 34
    emig647emig647 Posts: 2,454member


    Sleeping with the enemy... :(

  • Reply 2 of 34


    Bastard.

  • Reply 3 of 34
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Evangelist shmangelist, I am off to rip out all the pages he wrote in my collection of old Mac magazines from the 1980's and build a bonfire.
  • Reply 4 of 34
    Et tu, Brute....
  • Reply 5 of 34


    Traitor! Off with his head.

  • Reply 6 of 34
    I've been saving an "lolwut??" for most of the week.

    I can pull it out now.

    "Motorola reminds me of the Apple of 1998," Kawasaki wrote, "a pioneer in its market segment, engineering-driven, and ripe for innovation.
  • Reply 7 of 34
    thttht Posts: 5,420member

    Quote:


    Kawasaki was not a long-time employee of Apple, working with the company for a four-year stint beginning in 1983. He was, though, originally responsible for marketing the Macintosh in 1984. He left the company in 1987 to lead a software company, but returned in 1995 as an Apple Fellow, acknowledged as an individual who had made an extraordinary technical or leadership contribution to personal computing while at the company.



     


    Huh? I thought Kawasaki was a developer evangelist, not in "marketing". Then, he was awarded an Apple Fellow position in 1995 because of those 4 years? Wow, 1995 was desperate times.

  • Reply 8 of 34


    How long before Steve Wozniak follows Kawasaki down the same path?

  • Reply 9 of 34
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    What the heck? An old-school ex-Apple employee is never allowed to work for any non-Apple electronics company ever in their life?

    I doubt Guy can do much to resurrect Motorola, but it would be nice to see what he can do. I love my iPhone to the max. However, my two favorite phones in the (way) past were motorola phones, the StarTac, and Razr. Sadly, that's the last time really they did anything.

    Even if Guy does somehow reinvigorate Motorola's products, it will always be crippled by Android. Could have been good to use WebOS I think.

    Good luck Guy. You're going to need it.
  • Reply 10 of 34
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    How long before Steve Wozniak follows Kawasaki down the same path?

    The way old tubby mouths off I've been expecting him to turn up at Google or Samsung for a while. Don't get me wrong I have great respect for the Woz of the late 1970's early 80's but never understood why anything he said post 1984 was relevant.
  • Reply 11 of 34

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post



    Google's aim, reportedly, is to build Motorola into a more viable Android manufacturer, one that can serve as a counterbalance to Samsung's increasing sway over the Android ecosystem.


    They better hurry.

  • Reply 12 of 34
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    sflocal wrote: »
    What the heck? An old-school ex-Apple employee is never allowed to work for any non-Apple electronics company ever in their life?

    I doubt Guy can do much to resurrect Motorola, but it would be nice to see what he can do. I love my iPhone to the max. However, my two favorite phones in the (way) past were motorola phones, the StarTac, and Razr. Sadly, that's the last time really they did anything.

    Even if Guy does somehow reinvigorate Motorola's products, it will always be crippled by Android. Could have been good to use WebOS I think.

    Good luck Guy. You're going to need it.

    I think we were all being semi humorous in our castigation. But any evangelist asks for a ribbing when he changes camps and goes to the opposition.

    p.s. I had a Moto Brick phone. :)
  • Reply 13 of 34

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by THT View Post


     


    Huh? I thought Kawasaki was a developer evangelist, not in "marketing". Then, he was awarded an Apple Fellow position in 1995 because of those 4 years? Wow, 1995 was desperate times.



     


    Exactly.  I met and worked with Kawasaki when he was the developer evangelist way back when.  He is nothing special.  Typical silicone valley blow-hard wannabe.  Think Robert Cringely or John Dvork or Tim Bajarin.   All talk and no action.


     


    Nothing to worry about here, he won't fix Motorola.

  • Reply 14 of 34


    hmm

  • Reply 15 of 34

    hmm

  • Reply 16 of 34

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post



    Guy Kawasaki, former Apple evangelist, announced on Wednesday that he would be taking on an advising position at Google-owned Motorola, saying the troubled smartphone manufacturer is ripe for innovation much in the same way that industry giant Apple was back in 1998.



    "Motorola reminds me of the Apple of 1998," Kawasaki wrote, "a pioneer in its market segment, engineering-driven, and ripe for innovation. I believe that great products can change everything. For example, the creation of the iMac G3 [...] was a pivotal event for Apple."

     


     


     


    Jeeze, is everyone referring to Apple as the has-been of innovation?

  • Reply 17 of 34
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member


    Apparently Guy is a big Google+ fan and also wrote a book about it.


     


    I think a lot of people are fans of both Apple and Google. I've been a big fan of Apple for years and also use a lot of Google services. It is too bad that the two companies are no longer on good terms.


     


    Although I believe Google ripped off Apple when they created Android, I am more annoyed that they gave it to Samsung.


     


    I bet Google regrets doing that now that they own Motorola.

  • Reply 18 of 34


    Et tu Brutus Guy?

  • Reply 19 of 34
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by eksodos View Post


    Good luck to him. You can sense he's clearly still passionate about technology whenever you hear him speak.


     


    I'm not understanding the idea that if you've done important work for Apple in the past you owe them your loyalty for life - regardless of your current employment and financial circumstances. Get real ffs.



    I don't really respect people who work just for money, otherwise you're just a whore for hire.


     


    I respect people who do exactly what they want to be doing, and who believe in what they are doing.

  • Reply 20 of 34
    kdarlingkdarling Posts: 1,640member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    I don't really respect people who work just for money, otherwise you're just a whore for hire.


     


    I respect people who do exactly what they want to be doing, and who believe in what they are doing.



     


    It's also okay to be paid well for doing something you like... which is what it sounds like he's doing.

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