Tim Cook is more than ready to be "alpha dog". The amount of money that he is getting is specifically to keep him at Apple and not be poached by some other company. Steve Jobs has instilled the culture and I don't see much of a problem, they seem really good at getting rid of people (even if they spent time / money to recruit) if they don't work out.
Cook has done a series of corporate gigs (including ironically employment at IBM in 1984). But there's no history of entrepreneurship - no Apple, Next, or Pixar. He's Prime Minister not an Emperor material.
Re:The Leave
by true_religion on Tuesday January 18, 2011 @01:44PM
(#2116843)
Can you explain that analogy? Secondly, Apple is an established company, why does it need an entrepreneur at its helm?
Churchill defended Britain, Napoleon conquered all Europe. Apple can survive with Cook at the helm, but nobody will describe him as visionary and creative (even if he is). With Jobs gone, the press won't be afraid ask, "Ping? What were they thinking?"
Actually, I would assume that none of them are really cut out to be alpha dog. For Jobs it's been my way or the highway for close to 35 years (even if he was the one hitting the road at times). That's a personality type. None of them have a Pixar on their resumes.
If the future of Apple's success is depends on the transfer of magic between executives, antenna gate was a preview of the problems Apple faces. A deep bench is all well and good, but their can be only one successor.