Tim Cook ’s instruction from Steve Jobs was clear : Do n’t let Apple become paralyzed like Disney did in the aftermath of Walt Disney ’s decease , endlessly asking what the prestigious founder would do in any given billet . The only directive from Jobs ’s tenure that weigh after his death was the one that freed Cook and everyone else at Apple from playing “ What Would Steve Do ? ”
Criticism of post - Jobs Apple tends to run in one of two directions ( unless you ’re the author ofHaunted Empireand want to have it both ways ): Either Apple is doom because it ’s slavishly following the out - of - particular date playbook of its former CEO , or it ’s doom because it’snotfollowing the playbook of its brain former CEO .
As a nigh observer of Apple before , during , and after Jobs ’s tenure , I can differentiate you that the Apple of today isnotplaying by the Steve Jobs playbook — except for the chip that demanded that everyone quit asking what Steve would do . Tim Cook and his lieutenant are engross in the Apple civilization created by Steve Jobs , of course , but they ’re applying that culture to an ever - changing world — rather than going to the 2011 playbook .
Perhaps the most obvious example is the $ 3 billion acquisition of Beats . Apple bought plenty of companies during Jobs ’s political campaign , but most of those attainment were of below - the - waterline company that were broken up for their constituent part , their employees integrated into Apple ’s workforce . Beats is an existing consumer brand that will presumably go on — force Apple to steward another client - facing brand for the first time in recent retentiveness . ( Claris / FileMakeris the next tightlipped example , and it ’s not that close . )
line of work wasfamously not a fanof the concept of medicine subscription services . Were Jobs awake today , even he might alter his mind on that point , but since he ’s not here it ’s up to Cook , Eddy Cue , Phil Schiller , and the rest of Apple ’s brain faith to make these calls . It sure seems like music subscription services are going to be a major part of how people listen to music in the futurity , and Apple had no position in that blank space . Beats Music , though Modern and small , is also an splendid servicewith impertinent curation features . It gets Apple in the game .
Then there ’s Beats Electronics , the maker of democratic headphones . We can debate the quality of the product — Apple itself does n’t make the best - sounding headphones in the world — but they ’re popular , successful , and cool . Apple ’s own retail outlets sell loads of them . By buying Beats , not only does Apple get to influence the future of a cool ware ( and ensure that it works considerably with Apple ’s latest stuff ) , it also keep its competitors ’ dingy mitts off of it .
Really , the Beats skill is just the late sign that this is not Steve ’s Apple , but rather the post - Steve Apple that Steve himself demand that Cook create . Cook has also added a charity matching program , began buying back Apple share , and offer shareholders a dividend .
Apple ’s Puerto Rico and product approach and schedule , once predictable , are now in anything - can - happen mode . Thegeneral populace can beta - testversions of OS X. Mountain Lion ’s roll - out wasdifferent . Mavericks was free . Apple execsembraced the 30th day of remembrance of the Macin a way Jobs would n’t have . Last year ’s iPhone wasreplaced by a unexampled modelrather than simply being send packing in price .
I might even debate that in some ways , Apple executive director have been able to undo some decisions that Jobs himself — perhaps foolishly — insisted on . The “ thermonuclear ” patent warfare Jobs protrude with Google shows signs of abating , since it ’s clear now that the solution of those trials are embarrassing disclosures , Brobdingnagian effectual fees , andslight slaps on the wrist joint to the infringers .
The evidence is clear : Apple is taking Steve Jobs ’s advice to nitty-gritty and not remaining static in the wake of his death . I have no melodic theme if Apple and Beats will end up being a well couple — I’m concerned to see if Apple truly adopt music subscription , or keeps Beats Music at arm ’s duration from iTunes . What I ’m excited by is the fact that the Beats acquisition is not a move that Apple would have made a few years ago .
I believe that if Apple stuck by the What Would Steve Do playbook , it would truly be doomed — by await backward and second - guessing fundamental decision based on scheme that are progressively out of engagement . Steve Jobs famously changed his idea all the time , but his posthumous wisdom does n’t have that potentiality . Instead , Apple administrator are making interesting and hazardous decisions — just as Steve Jobs once did . Whether the Beats skill in the end succeeds or fails , the fact that it happened at all is a good sign for Apple ’s future .
