I can't agree with this conclusion. Good engineers know amazing UX is part of the spec. I can't see engineers actively fighting against design, and if they do, there's larger issues at play.
The Engineer-Driven culture at Nokia and its problems
11–20 of 61 posts
Re: The Engineer-Driven culture at Nokia and its problems
#12"Some Nokia employees continually disparage Apple, internally calling it The California Fruit Company," he said. Classy. Nothing quite like mocking one of the companies that's been ripping you limb from limb for the past three-and-a-half years.
perfect culture fit with Microsoft then
Re: The Engineer-Driven culture at Nokia and its problems
#13It is more of a "hardware specifications" driven culture, where design of the software experience is secondary. But in "touch phone" devices, just getting the hardware right can't even get you halfway into making a better product.
This is actually why I love Nokia phones. They have fantastic hardware. I'm really hoping that letting someone else do most of the heavy lifting for the software will allow Nokia to focus on what we already know it does best.
Yeah, but Microsoft?
If this partnership succeeds it would be the exception.
Re: The Engineer-Driven culture at Nokia and its problems
#14"Some Nokia employees continually disparage Apple, internally calling it The California Fruit Company," he said. Classy. Nothing quite like mocking one of the companies that's been ripping you limb from limb for the past three-and-a-half years.
That's funny. We'd tell people we worked for a fruit company in Cupertino.
Re: The Engineer-Driven culture at Nokia and its problems
#15"Some Nokia employees continually disparage Apple, internally calling it The California Fruit Company," he said. Classy. Nothing quite like mocking one of the companies that's been ripping you limb from limb for the past three-and-a-half years.
Exactly just look at the ifanboys and droiddroolers. They never post anything disparaging about their competitors.
When ifanboy and droidroolers mock Nokia - its for a good reason, since majority of people agree that Nokia's smartphones suck.
While when Nokia's employees or fans mock ifanboys's and doridroolers's toys - its just, well sad.
Re: The Engineer-Driven culture at Nokia and its problems
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is actually why I love Nokia phones. They have fantastic hardware. I'm really hoping that letting someone else do most of the heavy lifting for the software will allow Nokia to focus on what we already know it does best.
Yeah, but Microsoft? If this partnership succeeds it would be the exception.
Wintel?
Re: The Engineer-Driven culture at Nokia and its problems
#17Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is actually why I love Nokia phones. They have fantastic hardware. I'm really hoping that letting someone else do most of the heavy lifting for the software will allow Nokia to focus on what we already know it does best.
Yeah, but Microsoft? If this partnership succeeds it would be the exception.
Microsoft's 1997 investment/software-commitment with Apple, then in dire need, worked out pretty well for Apple.
Re: The Engineer-Driven culture at Nokia and its problems
#18No. It is a corporate turf war. Like MS, the engineering departments have the upper hand and prefers control to continue in engineering hands. They'd rather die than let the design manager get promoted. This is what you get if there is no strong alpha male founder leadership at the top. Ellison, Gates, Brin, Jobs were there to make sure this doesn't happen. When the founders leave, chaos ensues.
I cannot picture Gates as the alpha male leader.
He is a intelligent leader, but alpha male leader?
Re: The Engineer-Driven culture at Nokia and its problems
#19Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yeah, but Microsoft? If this partnership succeeds it would be the exception.
Microsoft's 1997 investment/software-commitment with Apple, then in dire need, worked out pretty well for Apple.
They provided capital and ongoing development of existing products, not the heart and soul of the Apple user experience.
Thank god.
Re: The Engineer-Driven culture at Nokia and its problems
#20No. It is a corporate turf war. Like MS, the engineering departments have the upper hand and prefers control to continue in engineering hands. They'd rather die than let the design manager get promoted. This is what you get if there is no strong alpha male founder leadership at the top. Ellison, Gates, Brin, Jobs were there to make sure this doesn't happen. When the founders leave, chaos ensues.
I cannot picture Gates as the alpha male leader. He is a intelligent leader, but alpha male leader?
Here's my theory: I think the key is that he, just like Jobs, is a leader who feels strongly about the product. There are lots of stories about how people would dread presenting ideas to Gates because he'd be brutally honest with how he felt about them. Same thing goes for Jobs - they care deeply that the product is good, so middle management is forced to focus on actually making good product. Whereas most CEOs and management care primarily about the process - we need the perfect process to make perfect product! Thus middle management that focuses solely on process. You never really hear much about the processes used at Apple, and I think it's because they don't really matter that much. What matters is the product and the consumer experience, and that is what Jobs cares about.