Apple cuts Tim Cook's pay 15% for missing sales goals • Hacker News Board

Re: Apple cuts Tim Cook's pay 15% for missing sales goals

#21

Post by maxxxxx » Fri, Jan 06, 2017, 5:42 PM UTC

tonyedgecombe wrote: post #16

maxxxxx wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have read studies that too much reward actually destroys the incentive. Instead of doing the work they are supposedly incentivized to do the main focus shifts on getting the reward at any cost.

I think I read that incentives only really work for mundane repetitive work. For anything intellectual or creative it is neutral or even negative.

My company gives out bonuses in the range of 10%. I really appreciate that but it's not large enough for me to change my work. It probably makes me stay longer with the company.

If my bonus was a multiple of my salary I would probably think more about increasing the bonus at any cost.

Re: Apple cuts Tim Cook's pay 15% for missing sales goals

#22

Post by ohyoutravel » Fri, Jan 06, 2017, 5:43 PM UTC

usaphp wrote: post #15

rackforms wrote: post #11

How is Tim Cook still CEO of Apple? Forget sales for a moment and just consider the damage Apple's brand is suffering. $300 books, headphone jacks, unreliable cloud services, missed product launches. In may ways Apples becoming the butt of jokes, a symbol of ignorance. Apple's in total disarray right now and the most loyal followers, myself included, are either jumping ship or seriously considering. The mistakes bein…

Your first reason for him being a bad CEO is a $300 book. A lot of companies have these type of books which are also costly, I don't think it's a good idea to start argument about him being a bad CEO with a book example.

I took the order of arguments in this case to be random, not in order of strength. While I agree that it's generally best to lead or finish on the strongest arguments, it seems pretty clear here that these are randomly ordered.

Re: Apple cuts Tim Cook's pay 15% for missing sales goals

#23

Post by invisible » Fri, Jan 06, 2017, 5:43 PM UTC

hartator wrote: post #13

Waterluvian wrote: post #10

When you're that rich, money is more of a high score than a tool. A pay cut will have more symbolic and emotional effect than actually lacking that money.

I am pretty sure Tim Cook doesn't care.

I'd argue he does care but isn't financially hurt. Being chastised by your peers isn't any less significant when you're rich.

Re: Apple cuts Tim Cook's pay 15% for missing sales goals

#24

Post by rackforms » Fri, Jan 06, 2017, 5:44 PM UTC

usaphp wrote: post #15

rackforms wrote: post #11

How is Tim Cook still CEO of Apple? Forget sales for a moment and just consider the damage Apple's brand is suffering. $300 books, headphone jacks, unreliable cloud services, missed product launches. In may ways Apples becoming the butt of jokes, a symbol of ignorance. Apple's in total disarray right now and the most loyal followers, myself included, are either jumping ship or seriously considering. The mistakes bein…

Your first reason for him being a bad CEO is a $300 book. A lot of companies have these type of books which are also costly, I don't think it's a good idea to start argument about him being a bad CEO with a book example.

It's perception I'm talking about, the real damage being done by releasing this type of tone-deaf product at the same time good, hardworking and long-time users can no longer afford their products.

Re: Apple cuts Tim Cook's pay 15% for missing sales goals

#25

Post by WalterSear » Fri, Jan 06, 2017, 5:46 PM UTC

maxxxxx wrote: post #6

WalterSear wrote: post #2

Oh no, now he won't be able to afford that thing. Oh wait, yes he will. It seems to me that executive compensation has become so inflated, it's lost its incentive value.

I have read studies that too much reward actually destroys the incentive. Instead of doing the work they are supposedly incentivized to do the main focus shifts on getting the reward at any cost.

There's that, but mostly when someone is being rewarded as much as the CEO of Apple, there's really not much they need money for, nor does a pay cut have any real material meaning.

Re: Apple cuts Tim Cook's pay 15% for missing sales goals

#26

Post by 27182818284 » Fri, Jan 06, 2017, 5:47 PM UTC

rackforms wrote: post #11

How is Tim Cook still CEO of Apple? Forget sales for a moment and just consider the damage Apple's brand is suffering. $300 books, headphone jacks, unreliable cloud services, missed product launches. In may ways Apples becoming the butt of jokes, a symbol of ignorance. Apple's in total disarray right now and the most loyal followers, myself included, are either jumping ship or seriously considering. The mistakes bein…

I have thought about Tim Cook being fired / stepping down as well. Myself and other close friends and family are all pulling away from Apple at the current moment. As I've mentioned on HN before, after the last MacBook launch I saw self-described Apple fan-boys loudly complaining about Apple's current path. The function bar is absolutely useless for me and I think the machine itself is only 20% better than my 2012 model. Microsoft out-Appled Apple with their Surface release set to Pure Imagination. I can't fathom how a new MacBook got greenlit with such mismatched ports with their latest phone. The dongle jokes are everywhere.

All that said, I feel bad for Tim—Does he even have time to read/focus on these products in any meaningful way right now? He is bombarded by the FBI, has to sit awkwardly with Trump (http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/58586bf5ca7f0c24018...), is working on the mothership with Ives, etc.

Re: Apple cuts Tim Cook's pay 15% for missing sales goals

#27

Post by brilliantcode » Fri, Jan 06, 2017, 5:48 PM UTC

rackforms wrote: post #11

How is Tim Cook still CEO of Apple? Forget sales for a moment and just consider the damage Apple's brand is suffering. $300 books, headphone jacks, unreliable cloud services, missed product launches. In may ways Apples becoming the butt of jokes, a symbol of ignorance. Apple's in total disarray right now and the most loyal followers, myself included, are either jumping ship or seriously considering. The mistakes bein…

I swore I'd never buy a mac when I was 10 because the mouse had only 1 button.

I have the same feelings when I look at the latest macbook but using the previous years macbook I must say I can see the appeal and I might consider buying one.

It's funny that just when the public ire is growing I discover myself wanting to buy it....but the new chromebook from google with stylus pen and keyboard that can be flipped into a tablet + millions of android apps is a really good offering as well.

Re: Apple cuts Tim Cook's pay 15% for missing sales goals

#28

Post by jonknee » Fri, Jan 06, 2017, 5:48 PM UTC

jameskegel wrote: post #17

usaphp wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your first reason for him being a bad CEO is a $300 book. A lot of companies have these type of books which are also costly, I don't think it's a good idea to start argument about him being a bad CEO with a book example.

No, it's a fine example, and makes a succinct point.

What point does it make? I am not interested in buying the book, but to me it suggests that Apple highly values design and its design team. I think the book is something Steve Jobs would have loved.

Re: Apple cuts Tim Cook's pay 15% for missing sales goals

#29

Post by colept » Fri, Jan 06, 2017, 5:48 PM UTC

rackforms wrote: post #11

How is Tim Cook still CEO of Apple? Forget sales for a moment and just consider the damage Apple's brand is suffering. $300 books, headphone jacks, unreliable cloud services, missed product launches. In may ways Apples becoming the butt of jokes, a symbol of ignorance. Apple's in total disarray right now and the most loyal followers, myself included, are either jumping ship or seriously considering. The mistakes bein…

Tim Cook is to Apple as Melissa Mayer was to Yahoo. An underdog and perceived as a business maverick that cares about the environment and philanthropy. We love them in movies, literature, and politics - because they give us a sense that we can do anything if we rise above.

But what we have now is a fragmented ecosystem of Apple Products that no longer "just work" and even worse, fit together like square pegs in a round hole. They call it "courage" but really it's lack of a cohesive vision and borderline greed to pull as much money from customers.

Re: Apple cuts Tim Cook's pay 15% for missing sales goals

#30

Post by brianwawok » Fri, Jan 06, 2017, 5:49 PM UTC

maxxxxx wrote: post #21

tonyedgecombe wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think I read that incentives only really work for mundane repetitive work. For anything intellectual or creative it is neutral or even negative.

My company gives out bonuses in the range of 10%. I really appreciate that but it's not large enough for me to change my work. It probably makes me stay longer with the company. If my bonus was a multiple of my salary I would probably think more about increasing the bonus at any cost.

Investment banker then. Isn't normal bonus 2x salary?

I would hate to rely so much on bonus. You can't count a mortgage payment on it. Shouldn't really count retirement on it.