Fake Steve Jobs Says 'Leave the Real One Alone' 166
Stoobalou writes "Dan Lyons, who has been lampooning Apple's Steve Jobs for many years, has posted his last item as Fake Steve Jobs and signed off. Lyons, who has been impersonating the messianic Apple supremo in the notorious tech blog since 2006 and even managed to maintain his anonymity for quite some time, despite being a well-known tech hack, has parked his vitriolic pen for the last time." Most people expect FSJ to return if RSJ does.
We might stop making fun of him (Score:4, Interesting)
Can Apple survive without Jobs again? (Score:5, Interesting)
Steve Jobs breathed life back into a dying Apple. It was his management that turned the company from a third-rate HW vendor into a juggernaut of ideas, concepts, products, and customer satisfaction. Sculley, Amelio, and the rest never could have done that.
But if Steve goes, whence Apple? I'm sure he has a large cadre of lieutenants who can make good decisions in his stead, but can they get along? Can they drive the teams and call BS on half-assed engineering like Jobs? Do they have his business acumen?
The problem of building a company around a single person means that person is the weakest link. When Steve decides to give up the mantle, will Apple be able to adjust to the absence and still succeed in the same ways?
I doubt it, and that's why I've shorted Apple stock. Frankly, I suggest you all do likewise.
Re:We might stop making fun of him (Score:2, Interesting)
And why was there no press conference to announce he had sold $1.4 billion in Apple shares in the 3 days before his announcement.
That's interesting if true. I suppose he figures he can't be thrown in jail if he's dead.
Cooke (Score:5, Interesting)
It's a measurable fact that Apple's market cap grew under Tim Cooke more than under Steve Jobs. One can question if he kept the idea pipeline stocked or was just a steward of an existing process. But the former is fact and the latter is speculation.
It is likely that Steve has hired people who are great with ideas but not with the type-A self confidence he has. It's a common trait for uber egotists to drive other egotist out of their circle. I'm not saying that is a bad thing. I'm saying it is a common thing. It has been the dominant management style for most of human history.
Thus the trouble is not replacing steve jobs but imagining who in his inner circle is capable of stepping up to be him. THat person may in fact not be in his inner circle. But maybe they alos don't need to replace him with someone just like him. they need a new leader with a new style. THey just might not find it right away till steve is truly gone.
Re:We might stop making fun of him (Score:5, Interesting)
In his defense, at least he didn't get all sweaty while clapping on stage for 20 minutes chanting nothing but "Developers".
Steve Jobs looks pretty good when you compare him to other industry CEOs.
Re:Can Apple survive without Jobs again? (Score:3, Interesting)
Um, yeah. Some folks might beg to differ.
The same folks that were in denial about the housing bubble right up until it burst?
memories! like shorted stock inside your mind! (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Can Apple survive without Jobs again? (Score:4, Interesting)
It's true that Steve turned Apple around when he rejoined. But let's not forget that he was originally ousted from his own company because his impulsive decisions, empty showmanship, and abusive management style threatened to rip Apple apart right when it should have been concentrating on building a long-term strategy. Those other CEOs and executives who ran Apple during Jobs' exile wouldn't have produced the superstar corporation that Apple is today, but at least they knew how to keep the company afloat long enough for Jobs to mature on both a business and behavioral level. (Even if they didn't realize that's what they were doing.)