Jobs calls the crop of executives brought in to run Apple after his ouster in 1985 "corrupt people" with "corrupt values" who cared only about making money. Jobs himself is described as caring far more about product than profit.
He told Isaacson they cared only about making money "for themselves mainly, and also for Apple — rather than making great products."
Related: The New York Times' story about the book.
[Image: cover of Steve Jobs, which is going on sale Monday]
Gee, doesn't that sound familiar? I hope we find our Steve Jobs before it's too late.
ReplyDeleteJim, can I ask you to give me a couple of sentences on why this is here? What is the point you are trying to make?
ReplyDelete7:40 -- the point he's trying to make is Apple nearly failed because they were on the same path that Gannett is on. To hell with great products -- the real reason anyone subscribes or picks up their publications -- all they care about is money.
ReplyDelete8:27 - The comparison is uncanny. The only difference is that we have not found our Steve Jobs, and I doubt we ever will.
ReplyDeleteHey, 9:35, the closes thing Gannett had to a Steve Jobs was probably Frank Gannett. He died in 1957.
ReplyDelete7:40 Jobs' returning the company's focus to excellent products helped save the company.
ReplyDeleteAt Gannett, on the other hand, I've rarely seen profits sacrificed in the name of quality in any meaningful way.
I understand your point, Jim. I just wanted clarification as you mention money, and not product excellence, in the headline. IMHO, Jobs has been given a huge pass on the subject of money. And this quote in particular does not ring true. Yes, he turned the company back to product. But he paid those around him literally OBSCENE amounts of money. Amounts that make Dubow look like a second-class citizen.
ReplyDelete11:48 Based on this quote, however, Jobs wasn't saying that making money was completely out of bounds -- whether for executives or for shareholders.
ReplyDeleteRather, he was criticizing executives who focused on profit, without regard for product quality. It appears he was more than willing to reward executives who delivered high-quality goods.
To your point, Apple's board of directors was rewarded handsomely, too, according to the latest proxy report to shareholders.
In 2010, the company paid three directors more than $840,000 each. And two directors got even more: $1.1 million (Millard Drexler) and $1.3 million (former Vice President Al Gore).
In contrast, most of Gannett's directors got paid well under $200,000 for their services last year.
Remember: About a week ago, Jim and his cloying entourage were saying you couldn't compare Gannett and Apple. They were TOTALLY different, they said.
ReplyDeleteSounds like the tune has changed. Great job staying consistent as usual, Jim.
2:13 Good point.
ReplyDeleteBut, yes, I can change my mind. And in this case, I have.
Also, the week-ago comments regarding Apple and Gannett appeared in this thread.
ReplyDeleteJim is not comparing Gannett to Apple in terms of products. It's fair game to compare dollar amounts given to corporate execs when it's a matter of a very successful product versus a very unsuccessful product.
ReplyDeleteLast week, he implied it wasn't fair game, 4:19. That's the point.
ReplyDeleteThis is Apple marketing B.S. at its finest. Apple charges huge premiums for their products just because of the logo they stamp on everything.
ReplyDeleteJobs was also known for stealing the ideas of others, dropping said logo on that idea, and then printing money.
6:94 I switched to Apple for better performance; cachet was secondary.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, Jobs built that cachet. Did Dubow turn Gannett into a valuable "logo" worth a premium just to have?
I dunno. "It's all within reach" has a certain cachet. It's meaningless and hollow but it sounds goofy. I mean good.
ReplyDeleteYeah -- that's why all his toys are mfg in China.
ReplyDeleteFDR's 1933 inaugural address:
ReplyDelete"Stripped of the lure of profit by which to induce our people to follow their false leadership, they have resorted to exhortations, pleading tearfully for restored confidence. They know only the rules of a generation of self-seekers. They have no vision, and when there is no vision the people perish."
Remind you of anyone?
Let's compare another metric between the companies: philanthropy. I don't know about Gannett but Apple is one of the stingiest companies around.
ReplyDelete