Mr. Gottheil? Steve Jobs Called. He Said to Tell You Nobody Needs You Anymore, Either
by John Paczkowski
Posted on October 7, 2008 at 12:00 AM PT
Jack Welch once called Apple CEO Steve Jobs “the most successful CEO today.” Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has described Jobs as “an inspirational leader,” the best he’s ever met. And Jobs is said to be worth more to his company than any other CEO in the world. If he were to leave Apple (AAPL)–willingly or otherwise–the company would suffer a $20 billion blow to its market capitalization, according to a 2007 survey by Barrons.
Yet, Apple doesn’t need him–according to Ezra Gottheil of Technology Business Research, who says the iCEO could be replaced by COO Tim Cook and Jonathan Ive, Apple’s senior vice president for industrial design.
“Apple doesn’t need Jobs anymore,” Gottheil said. “He’s established three sound businesses–Mac, iPod and the iPhone–and the company knows how to execute his fanatical devotion to design and usability. There’s a stable management team in place, and they know what they’re doing. Without Jobs, Apple would have to pay a lot more to get the world’s attention. But he’s got a company and a brand and an organization and a strategy in place. There’s no reason to think that those things can’t be carried forward without him.”
Perhaps not–Jobs wouldn’t permit things to unfold otherwise. But there’s no reason to think that they’ll ever be quite the same either.
Comments
I’m sorry but this doesn’t make much sense to me. That’s like saying the Bulls didn’t need MJ after winning a few championships. That Maxis doesn’t need Will Wright. Or that Baywatch doesn’t need David Hasselhoff.
Apple = Steve Jobs. If his first departure didn’t make that clear, nothing will.
Posted by Derek Andersen at October 6th, 2008 at 5:13 pmYou’d have to define “need”. Will Apple take a hit if something happens to Steve? Yes, that’s been proven.
Will people stop buying Macs and iPods? Will everyone throw their iPhone from the nearest bridge? No.
Someone like Ive will have to be the new gatekeeper, defending the brand of premium products. A newcomer would be tempted to slap an Apple logo on everything from USB keys to dvd players.
From my point of view that’s the biggest threat if Steve weren’t around: devaluation of the brand.
Posted by Murphy Mac at October 6th, 2008 at 5:56 pmSteve is more about the brand than anything else, and it’s the brand that needs to be protected.
The brand I say.
I think based on the actions of Wall Street, when a heart attack rumor came out, Steve shouldn’t leave his day job.
Perhaps the company needs to do more to promote the other faces of innovation within the company.
Posted by Ken Okel at October 7th, 2008 at 7:20 amI think the subject of apple without steve jobs is overrated.
Like a brain, it needs a body and soul to function in whole, the core value of apple with steve jobs is his idea, leadership and the dynamics that make the humans behind the apple company ticks.
Steve, right now is the core brain that makes the whole apple body runs; the beauty of brain is that it learns, plans and execute accordingly; when this brain needs to be replaced, it may take several brains to equal that of jobs’, but if he can create apple like what it is today, I’m sure he & his bosses are taking all it takes to make sure that everything stays on track no matter what.
As the matter of what kind of apple would it be without jobs, it’s like asking what the weather is like a year from now! Let’s enjoy what we have in the present and worry not about it!
Posted by Will Wiriawan at October 9th, 2008 at 1:15 am