The iPhone that Jobs debuted to the world in 2007 fueled Apple's rise to become the most valuable company, but nothing lasts forever. Not everyone would agree with the latter point. But, he adds, "just because everybody is looking for new doesn't mean it's not working." "For four or five years, the playbook is the same that's been done," says Amit Sharma, a former Apple exec on the online store team. There's now a feeling among some Apple insiders that the company is just running the same product playbook that Jobs created in his final years at the helm. It's also a vision and push for the next big thing. Some of his people have it and some don't." Steve had that and he was a brutal enforcer of his taste," says Segall. "Taste is one of those things that everyone on Earth thinks they have even when they don't. That process has raised doubts among some close to Apple. "But I think it's still with the understanding that Tim owns the team architecture." "It's more of gaining consensus," says Bryson Gardner, who directed development for various iPod and iPhone models until 2013, on the decision making process under Cook compared to Jobs. With Jobs gone, the approach to product and design decisions changed as well.Ĭook, not known for his product sensibility, leans more on executives like design chief Jony Ive and head of software engineering Craig Federighi to oversee product decisions, according to former employees. "It wasn't like you were going to put these six incredible people on this mission. "It felt like a different place fundamentally," said one former employee, whose team grew from a dozen to well over 100 during his few years there before leaving in 2013. Related: Apple's Tim Cook on his mistakes and what the future holds Yet even small product and design teams saw their numbers grow in a way that Jobs typically resisted. Much of that headcount growth is due to Apple opening dozens of additional retail stores and investing in research and development for new product categories. We have talked about things and been more transparent about what we're doing," Cook said in a recent interview with The Washington Post, when asked how Apple's culture has changed.Ĭook also said: "The obvious things are we have more employees. "We have stepped up our social responsibility. Related: Apple ups China bet with first R&D centerĪpple declined to comment for this story beyond public statements made by Cook in recent weeks. Now you'll find a big company that feels like a big company, with a swelling headcount and what several former employees described as a creeping bureaucracy.Īpple had 110,000 full-time employees as of the end of September 2015, nearly doubling from the 60,400 employees it reported having in September 2011, shortly after Cook took over, according to annual filings with the SEC. "Steve hated the way big companies worked." All the big decisions were made with relatively few people," says Ken Segall, the former Apple ad man who worked closely with Jobs for years and helped create the "Think Different" campaign. "Apple under Steve Jobs always felt like a small company. Gone is the feeling of a small, nimble company run by a visionary founder who can single-handedly make major product, design and marketing decisions on his own. However, this must be weighed against what Apple has lost in recent years. Related: Apple slips as worries about iPhone sales lingerīy putting social justice front and center, Cook may make Apple a more attractive brand for employees and customers. "It just wasn't the thing Apple led with." "I actually felt like Apple always had a very strong internal social compass, even when Steve was there," says Holly Shelton, who led MacBook product marketing at Apple until 2013. Another employee said there was definitely a "louder environmental voice" inside the company pushing it to be greener. Teams are encouraged to be more aware of Apple's supply chain and any red flags they might notice on trips abroad, according to one former employee. Under Cook's leadership, Apple finally began matching charitable contributions from employees, which had long been a sore spot for staff. If Jobs put a dent in the universe through Apple's coveted products, Cook is making his mark by highlighting the importance of social efforts: LGBT rights, philanthropy, corporate diversity, renewable energy and improving manufacturing conditions abroad. But that's probably not what Cook will be known for. Nearly every employee praised Cook, previously Apple's COO, for being a savvy operator who deftly manages a complex global business and its relationship with suppliers, retailers and investors. Related: Apple says it now pays women, men, whites and minorities equally
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