Tim Cook explains consolidation at Apple in new interview

Posted:
in General Discussion edited September 2014
A new profile of Apple published Wednesday offers a behind-the-scenes look at what has changed since the death of cofounder Steve Jobs, including how CEO Tim Cook navigated a series of internal shakeups to arrive at the company we see today.




In a lengthy and wide-ranging cover story, Bloomberg reports Apple is a much different place from the days when Jobs roamed the halls, but necessarily so as the previous compartmentalization of product groups doesn't jibe with Cook's management style.

Since Jobs passed away in 2011, pundits have been quick to point out discrepancies seen in Cook's handling of the company. This is by design, however, as the publication cites former employees as saying there were concerns that a decentralized Apple would not work without a strong central leader.

To make the system whole, Cook consolidated divisions to streamline operations and keep infighting down to a minimum, a tactic that ultimately led to former iOS chief Scott Forstall's dismissal. The internal shakeups were at one time taken as a sign that things were not going well in Cupertino, but continuing record sales, a near doubling of employees and successful new device launches appear to indicate a thriving business.

Despite the changes, Cook is the first to point out that Jobs' ideals are still alive at Apple. Still, critics have claimed the company has lost its knack for innovating in a highly competitive and rapidly changing industry.

As evidence that Apple is still a font of new ideas, Cook pointed to last week's iPhone event, where the company introduced a 4.7-inch iPhone 6, 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, the upcoming Apple Watch and Apple Pay, the firm's first foray into mobile payments.

"Anybody coming out of there yesterday knows that innovation is alive and well in Cupertino," Cook said of the event. "If there were any doubts, I think that they should be put to bed."

The article goes on to detail SVP of Design Jony Ive's work on Apple Watch, which entailed a deep study of watchmaking history, as well as Apple's workplace diversity, among other topics.

A number of Apple executives contributed to the story, including SVP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue, who said, "I feel damn proud to be working as a part of Tim's team. If he gets a little bit of recognition from the outside world, that is great. He deserves a lot more than he is going to get."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 46
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    I didn't care for the undertone of this article at all. A bit of a hit piece, IMO. And why throw in gossip about Ive allegedly buying Steve's private jet from his family? Don't see what the point of that was. The worst though is the covers they used. Awful font and awkward photos of Tim.
  • Reply 2 of 46
    Highly compitative my arse...throwing boo boo every week
    and see what sticks is not highly compiatative. I dont even
    couldnt remember how many Galaxy models are out there?
  • Reply 3 of 46
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post



    ...Steve's private jet...

     

    That reminds me: whatever became of the yacht?

  • Reply 4 of 46
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member

    What always frosts my hind end is that these ‘critics’ that claim Apple has lost its innovation without Jobs are the same ones who claimed Jobs was hurting the company with his style of management.

     

    What is the problem with these critics (and trolls) who hover around Apple like vultures waiting for something go wrong so they can attack. No other company that I know of has this “cadre of the macabre” following them around, ghouls and poltergeists haunting the streets of Cupertino in order to watch for failure. 

  • Reply 5 of 46
    As evidence that Apple is still a font of new ideas,

    Which font would that be? Helvetica?
  • Reply 6 of 46
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    lkrupp wrote: »
    What always frosts my hind end is that these ‘critics’ that claim Apple has lost its innovation without Jobs are the same ones who claimed Jobs was hurting the company with his style of management.

    What is the problem with these critics (and trolls) who hover around Apple like vultures waiting for something go wrong so they can attack. No other company that I know of has this “cadre of the macabre” following them around, ghouls and poltergeists haunting the streets of Cupertino in order to watch for failure. 
    Yep. The whole undercurrent of this article was that Apple is doomed because everyone from engineering to the janitor is involve with products whereas under Jobs if was small laser focused teams doing revolutionary things. Of course they don't point out the fact that Apple is so much bigger than it ever was under Jobs. Apple's quarterly profits are as much if not more than what Apple earned in an entire year during the early years of Apple 2.0. It's impossible to run a company with $180B in revenues like a small start up just focusing on a small number of products.
  • Reply 7 of 46
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    Which font would that be? Helvetica?
    Perhaps it's the new font they're using for the watch which apparently is a new custom Apple font.
  • Reply 8 of 46
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,927member
    "Internal shakeups were at one time taken as a sign that things were not going well in Cupertino,". By who? Oh yea, clueless analysts who failed to start/run their own businesses.
  • Reply 9 of 46
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,927member
    Which font would that be? Helvetica?

    font
    n.noun
    1. A basin for holding baptismal water in a church.
    2. A receptacle for holy water; a stoup.
    3. The oil reservoir in an oil-burning lamp.
    4. An abundant source; a fount.
  • Reply 9 of 46
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post





    Which font would that be? Helvetica?

     

    Futura

  • Reply 11 of 46
    boredumbboredumb Posts: 1,418member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by lkrupp View Post

    What is the problem with these critics (and trolls) who hover around Apple like vultures waiting for something go wrong so they can attack. 


    Or, take it as a sort of compliment.

    After all, what would be the satisfaction of dragging down the losers?

  • Reply 12 of 46
    jungmark wrote: »
    "Internal shakeups were at one time taken as a sign that things were not going well in Cupertino,". By who? Oh yea, clueless analysts who failed to start/run their own businesses.

    Armchair business experts, Android fans, and forum contrarians.
  • Reply 13 of 46
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    Tim Cook looks so young and hip lately.

    Thank you fashion hires!!
  • Reply 14 of 46
    nagrommenagromme Posts: 2,834member
    Small correction:

    "Still, critics have claimed [SINCE 1976] that the company has lost its knack for innovating in a highly competitive and rapidly changing industry."
  • Reply 15 of 46
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    lkrupp wrote: »
    What always frosts my hind end is that these ‘critics’ that claim Apple has lost its innovation without Jobs are the same ones who claimed Jobs was hurting the company with his style of management.
    Some people wouldn't know innovation if it bit them in the ass! Seriouslyconsider the response that A8 and M8 get in some circles. People try to dismiss it as nothing significant innovation wise but these processors are bleeding edge and frankly out do Intels latest in many measures. Just one example here is Apple getting a higher transistor density at 20 nam than Intel gets at 14 mm (from all apperances anyways). To put it simply I know of nothing that comes close to what A8 does at the power levels it operates at.

    What is the problem with these critics (and trolls) who hover around Apple like vultures waiting for something go wrong so they can attack. No other company that I know of has this “cadre of the macabre” following them around, ghouls and poltergeists haunting the streets of Cupertino in order to watch for failure. 

    Jealousy! Seriously some people have significant problems when someone else is successful. This appears to be the primary reason we see so much of this crap of late.
  • Reply 16 of 46
    quinneyquinney Posts: 2,528member
    As evidence that Apple is still a font of new ideas,

    Which font would that be? Helvetica?

    maybe this one:
    700
  • Reply 17 of 46
    mjtomlinmjtomlin Posts: 2,690member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by cali View Post



    Tim Cook looks so young and hip lately.

     

     

    He had to accessorize with his new watch.

  • Reply 18 of 46
    quinney wrote: »
    maybe this one:
    700
    Isn't that former Levi's location the new location of Apple's Flagship San Francisco Union Square store? How apropos.
  • Reply 19 of 46
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,601member
    1. The thing about Steve's plane is true. Ive confirmed it.

    2. The yacht still belongs to, and is used by, Steve's family. I guess they're happier cruising rather than being jet-setters (ha!).

    3. "Font" of knowledge/wisdom/trivia is an acceptable spelling, but "fount" is better because then people can't make lousy jokes about it. At least nobody suggested Comic Sans, that's an improvement ...
  • Reply 20 of 46
    Originally Posted by chasm View Post

    1. The thing about Steve's plane is true. Ive confirmed it.



    Well, as long as you’ve confirmed it, it must be true. ????

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