Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Apple Corporate, Steve Jobs, Apple
Finding Jobs 2.0
Is it even possible? Forbes does a little bit of speculating on just who might take over when Jobs takes his leave from Apple, and candidates aren't exactly jumping out of the woodwork. Jobs is about as visionary as they come -- only a guy like Steve could lead Apple from the iMac to the iPod to the iPhone, breaking records and status quo the whole time. Phil Schiller and Scott Forstall are tossed out as two names currently within Apple's ranks, but Jobs is almost as much of a company mascot as he is a CEO. As consultant Patrick Sweeney says in the article, anyone who steps into the turtleneck has to fit completely into the culture of the company, or it won't work.And forget the day-to-day and design decisions -- who's going to stand on stage and say "boom" at WWDC and Macworld? Here at TUAW, we're pretty sure the rumors of Jobs' ill health are exaggerated; he's probably not going anywhere anytime fast. But at the same time, it's hard to imagine an Apple without him at all.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Le Big Mac said 4:08PM on 7-03-2008
I don't think you need a guy to stand on stage to say "boom". If Apple tries to find Jobs 2.0 it will be a fruitless search. What they need to look for is someone with a similar commitment to innovation and stylish design, with real business savvy. If he wears a tie, so what? Or even if his turtleneck is green or pink. Or he wears just a t-shirt.
I have no idea whether any of the names mentioned fit the bill, but to say they need someone identical will do a disservice both to Apple and its customers.
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Brandon Martinez said 4:10PM on 7-03-2008
Hell, I'll do it!
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Craig said 4:17PM on 7-03-2008
sent in a tip on this story quite a while ago...
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Manish said 4:27PM on 7-03-2008
Jobs 2.0?!? Isn't that the current incarnation..the title of this post should be Finding Jobs 3.0
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Dustin Craig said 4:29PM on 7-03-2008
What about Steve's backup clones? If they dont pan out, I nominate Jonathan Ive.
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Ken Cohen said 4:33PM on 7-03-2008
Please, no more candidates like the soft drink salesman who pretends to be cool and part of the culture, then becomes an industry philosopher and write books about himself. Then departs with a golden handshake into ignominy as the naive CEO of a fraudulent new company. What a depressing thought.
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Robert said 4:37PM on 7-03-2008
What a Jackass.
Steve loves Apple like Bear Bryant loved Bama. Someday he'll leave, but for him to do so in the foreseeable. i.e., next 3-5 years would not bode well for his longevity on the planet.
Lyon's subterranean glee at this prospect is troubling, dark, and probably has its seed in the fact that he's a bit disgruntled at only being a "Fake Steve."
Apple's Clintonesque relationship with the truth is just that, Clintonesque, the hallmark of which is plausible deniability. If Steve were of ill health, the company would not have stated definitively that Steve was fighting a bug but otherwise fine. To do otherwise gets you impeached when president and sued into the stone-age if a company. Apple isn't that stupid.
So, Mr. Lyons, please take your Ghoulish fixation with Mr. Jobs' health back to the dark regions from whence it came. Perhaps you could do with a bit of couch time where you can come to grips with the fact that your impact on consumer electronics has been less than Mr. Jobs.
I know mine certainly has, but I revel in the imagination of those such as Ive and Jobs and don't feel the need to wish them into early graves.
Heck...I bet my kids love me more than his do...or at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
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imatt said 4:39PM on 7-03-2008
What's John Sculley doing these days?
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Ken Cohen said 4:53PM on 7-03-2008
John Sculley is a Coke salesman now, there's a rumour Microsoft may hire him to replace Bill Gates.
Lincoln said 4:43PM on 7-03-2008
Okay, after you stop laughing, consider......Gore?
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Oliver said 5:25PM on 7-03-2008
basically, you have to be..... a god.
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jP said 9:03PM on 7-03-2008
Or at least think that you are one.
Fred said 5:36PM on 7-03-2008
Is there really any question that it will be Ive? Seriously?
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imatt said 5:45PM on 7-03-2008
Jonathan is a designer. I wonder if he also has the chops to function effectively as a CEO of a massive brand with 3 main branches and worldwide reach.
Based strictly on popularity / the "it" factor, Ive has it by a landslide. It seems lately they've been grooming Phil (and more recently, Scott) for higher purposes as well, giving them stage time at events, etc. I can't see Scott getting promoted to his current position as head of iPhone, and then right away into the CEO seat.
I personally feel we have at least a few more years of a Jobs-led Apple before we see anybody new taking the helm.
Fritz Laurel said 5:49PM on 7-03-2008
While all the people on the list are good at what they do, they are no replacement for Jobs. Not that Jobs is all that, but they just don't come close to matching the public's perception. And perception is a hard thing to change.
They'd be better getting someone who has a moldable public perception -- maybe even someone viewed as craaaazzzzy, like Dean Kaman.
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imatt said 5:50PM on 7-03-2008
Fuck Dean Kamen.
Nic said 7:45PM on 7-03-2008
"...it's hard to imagine an Apple without him at all."
No it's not - where were you during the 90s?
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imatt said 8:42PM on 7-03-2008
How about: "it's hard to imagine Apple not tanking miserably and going through ~4 CEOs in 10 years." Is that better?
Jackster said 8:14PM on 7-03-2008
I like Scott Forstall. Phil Shiller shouldn't be the next CEO, don't know why I just don't think he'd do a good job.
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Artr said 8:41PM on 7-03-2008
Ive is a great speaker, and he has a deffinite vision, I think he is the closest to what Jobs is, when it comes to the megalomaniac who is controlling of all the company, I dunno.
Schiller is okay, as a business man he's great, but as a marketer, he just seems too cheesy
Scott's a great developer, but he's definitely not cut out for a C-Level business position, let alone CEO.
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