Yesterday, Steve Jobs announced his resignation by submitting the following letter to Apple.
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To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:
I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.
I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.
As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.
I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.
I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.
Steve
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What will Steve Jobs’s resignation mean for Apple? Will Tim Cook be able to maintain the Apple legacy?
Sure, Steve’s been called a tyrannical micromanager who demands the beauty and perfection of all Apple products…inside and out. Yes, it’s been said that he spies on his employees, demanding the utmost secrecy surrounding all Apple products. So? Jobs’s vision and type A Steveness has been the driving force behind this multi-billion dollar brand. A brand that has captured the hearts and wallets of the global marketplace, converted die-hard PC heads, and made computing into a work of art.
Okay, maybe that’s a little bit sappy. I don’t care. I want to wallow for a little while.
I say the world needs people like Steve Jobs. People who are maniacally committed to making a brand sing, to making technology accessible and simple, and to controlling every little aspect of production until it’s perfect.
So, what will become of Apple? According to a Forbes article, the market will bounce back, no, bounce forward.
And, undoubtedly, it will. Yes, Steve has an incredible hand in the making of all things Apple, but this multi-billion-dollar company certainly isn’t lacking in expertise. Stocks may have been down today, but they will go back up. Many believe that Tim Cook will bring a fresh perspective, and he’s definitely got the experience to take on the new role as CEO.
In closing, I’d like to officially issue the following letter to Apple, on behalf of all fans:
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Please, please, please, dearest Apple,
Maintain your creative integrity, your commitment to excellence, and your devotion to all things awesome. You do that, and I’ll keep giving you money.
Sincerely,
Apple fans everywhere
I was working in Silicon Valley when Sculley ousted Steve Jobs from Apple. There was much dejection amongst Apple engineers who, despite Jobs’ personality disorders, revered him for having created an environment within which they could thrive. Steve pushed everyone to innovate and make everything they did “insanely great”. Part of that success was because he could articulate his vision in a way that everyone at Apple “got”. He didn’t labor the troops with bureaucratic nonsense about head count, productivity, profitability, market share and other MBA junk. That would all take care of itself if you created high quality devices that offered exceptional performance, did things that other devices didn’t do and were beautiful to look at. His McArthuresque return in 1996 lifted Apple employee’s spirits in a way that was palpable. You could just feel the sense that Apple was headed toward better things as soon as Steve was back.
Here, here! He is an inspiration to Type A people everywhere. It’s about the details! Hope Apple can keep it up.
Pete, what a neat perspective, being there during that period in time. I imagine his return in 1996 was quite powerful, and clearly had a huge impact on the company.
As an Apple fan (to the very, deepest core of my being), I am just hoping that his resignation will not remove him from Apple. His health is clearly a concern, and I am guessing that, even on the board, he will have a relatively minimal role, although nonetheless important.
And, I agree, writerlouise, let’s just hope the brand doesn’t dissipate into the PC yuck that is every other brand, and that the new CEO is as knowledgeable as Jobs.