If you think Gruber is correct ("You’re either at Apple or you’re not" rings very true to me), Ive is done with Apple. The completion of Apple Park represents the culmination of his transition to architecture.
Why does he have to go somewhere? Why not retire? Or do something he like? The problem with designing iPhone or any Apple products, is that he has so much constraint he cant really do much creative thinking any more. You need a new iPhone every year, and new design every few years, with tweaking of design in between. The design has to be able to be manufactured up to 100M unit a year. I suppose they even measure output with units per day. Materials will now have to be recyclable. And they cant cost more than X amount etc.
Then there is burn out I presume? He said he was deeply tired after doing the Apple Watch. That is roughly 3 years after Steve Jobs pass away. Steve was his best friend, and they both lift each other, and I assume Steve would motivate people, challenge each of these genius do something they thought they cant, but somehow all managed. Without their spiritual leader I assume the heavy burden is quite hard to bear. And people would burn out...
May be when Steve was around, working was fun at Apple. Now it is more like work for him. And so he decided to leave and enjoy life doing things he like.
Why Bizarrely? The guy is probably worth millions if not tens of millions. He can probably live a lavish life off of 4% gains for the rest of his life and there is nothing wrong with that.
I said bizarrely because in these situations the media & general public seem to always think that people like this can't survive without work. The guy is undoubtedly incredibly passionate about design and almost certainly a workaholic. The grandparent is talking about him going on design the future of automobiles - maybe, maybe not. It felt like I was suggesting something against the grain, which was why I prefaced it with "bizarrely".
The guy is worth north of 400 million.
I think you mean, how would he top this. Why does he need to? Why can't he just ... pull a Woz and kinda tinker around?
I worry that Ive will quickly grow frustrated when he realizes that he is a consultant, and at the end of the day, it will be the company that makes the final decision.Will Ive want his name to be associated with an object that was deemed “good enough” by the hiring company?
Understanding the culture of an organization, the strengths and weaknesses of its executives, what the organization is capable as a whole.. that kind of access and connection comes when you are deeply integrated within it. As consultant, you are an external party, an outsider. No matter how good your ideas are, it is up to the client to decide whether or not they will be implemented.
I see Ive as the next Terry Gilliam trying to pitch Brazil! to a set of executives, except Gilliam was able to work with Criterion to ultimately release a 3 version box set: his version, what the executives wanted, and what was released in the theatre. Three completely different movies that highlight the clueless executives and the genius of Gilliam.
Or maybe he spends some time with his family and is a secret force behind the scenes, donating time to universities and design schools, trying to encourage the next generation.
Being able to say "Designed by Ive" is worth a lot. Companies will find the money just as they find money for Porsche design collaborations, Pininfarina design, collaboration with popstars, sponsorship of sports teams, etc.
seems to be loaded & well connected enough to easily do several of his own things..
Designing things for not Apple. Not designing for just 1 brand anymore.
Agree with your line of thinking though. It's more interesting to speculate on what could lure someone like that away, than just assume the mundane.
Play that again in your head
I speculate his reason must be to design something massively popular, that so many people in the world touch every day, that blends computers and architecture. And that his reason must a project so big that it can't reasonably fit inside Apple Park, both in terms of physical space and in terms of manufacturing partnerships where the team must be on site.
I speculate he's leaving Apple to design the Apple car.
Replies: 1) If Ive wanted to retire, I'd expect he could; he has mountains of money, and has achieved tremendous success in the marketplace. 2) If Ive were forced out, I'd expect an announcement akin to "will serve as an advisor to CEO Tim Cook", not "founding an agency with Apple as a client". 3) Why leave now? Because Apple just bought a big piece of the car project, Drive.ai.