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Apple avoids job cuts because it didn’t overhire like Google and Amazon

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Re: Apple avoids job cuts because it didn’t overhire like Google and Amazon

#161

Post by ElevenLathe »

sam0x17 wrote: post #126
dmix wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So what should they have done? Conceded to a group of Epic type companies on a VIP-type basis so regulators don't eat their lucrative subscription model? Without bigco lobbying the gov I doubt there'd be as much regulatory pressure. So the best bet might have been to work with the major companies hiring lobbyists and getting PR. Rumour is Apple is opening up side-loading so the "walled garden" thing might be neutered…

No no they should have never had it above 10% to begin with. The case with Epic never should have needed to happen. They've been over-extended all along.

I agree that the cut is too big, but its entirely reasonable to think that setting and keeping the cut at 30% is the rational profit-maximizing course even in a long run that includes new laws throttling them to some lower number.

Re: Apple avoids job cuts because it didn’t overhire like Google and Amazon

#162

Post by danudey »

giantg2 wrote: post #118
etempleton wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Growing too fast is damaging to both culture and productivity. You have a bunch of people starting that are still learning. Depending on the job and the person it can take a full year to be fully competent in a job. Apple was smart to move slower. They are probably one of the best run companies in the world.

"Depending on the job and the person it can take a full year to be fully competent in a job." Some of us never become competent.

Ideally it takes a full year for them to realize that you're not competent, at which point you hit your 1 year cliff and can snag 25% of your options or RSUs before you get PIP'ed out.

Re: Apple avoids job cuts because it didn’t overhire like Google and Amazon

#163

Post by shmatt »

lapcat wrote: post #51
shmatt wrote: post #40

All of these "company X has avoided layoffs" articles are pretty foolish, are all the big layoffs done? Are we even sure there won't be second rounds by summer? Apple could layoff 4% in a week and these same analysts will try to explain why there was no other way

> Apple could layoff 4% in a week Highly unlikely: https://9to5mac.com/2023/02/02/apple-layoffs-tim-cook/

This just means the letter will include the wording "last resort" and "we tried everything to avoid this"

Re: Apple avoids job cuts because it didn’t overhire like Google and Amazon

#165

Post by bryan_w »

icehawk wrote: post #74
bryan_w wrote: post #7

And they failed to hire enough people to bring their AR headset to market which is the other side of the coin.

How did they fail at doing that? Did they announce an AR headset, not bring it to market and someone else's got wildly popular or...?

This is what I'm referring to: https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/17/23560097/apple-ar-vr-glas...

Re: Apple avoids job cuts because it didn’t overhire like Google and Amazon

#166

Post by dmitriid »

chaostheory wrote: post #100
dmitriid wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah yes. Sci fi movies that have to show flashy special effects that would never work this way in real life: from headache-inducing colors and animation to having to hold your hands up fir an extended period of time to do the simplest things to see-through interfaces.

> show flashy special effects that would never work this way in real life This is only true if you can’t see the future that’s right in front of your eyes. Also unless something will violate laws of physics, it’s not wise to say that never will happen or is impossible to achieve https://www.wired.co.uk/article/oblong-minority-report-john-... We also already have Quest 2 as a pretty good VR device that’s shipped, not…

> This is only true if you can’t see the future that’s right in front of your eyes.

It really isn't in front of my eyes, and won't be for a long time.

>

No idea why it's here. And yes you are restricted by the laws of physics and human biology.

> We also already have Quest 2 as a pretty good VR device that’s shipped

VR is a) distinctly different from AR, b) requires bulky headsets, and c) borderline unusable for any extended periods of time

Re: Apple avoids job cuts because it didn’t overhire like Google and Amazon

#167

Post by taylodl »

sam0x17 wrote: post #105
dmix wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you're saying Apple isn't a well run company because they haven't properly managed their regulatory risk around the app store? What should they do hire more lobbyists? Not have built a $100 billion/year business because of a vague threat of future regulatory change? We've seen pushback on the 30% but mostly for a select group of major companies who want to offer alternative payments. The majority of apps aren't go…

I'm saying they have over-extended to the point where they are begging for regulation. Much wiser to not over-extend to the point where regulators are pissed off. Now they could lose it all instead of having a more reasonable rate. At this point they should self-regulate, like any misbehaving child who realizes they are in the wrong should before they get punished. It's not a risk and it's not going to hurt their sto…

Have you ever sold anything in a retail channel such as Walmart or Target? Do you know how much they charge to put your product on their shelves?

Welcome to the world of retail!

If Apple tried to make it so that you couldn't make an app and offer it both on Android and Apple, i.e. it had to be an Apple exclusive, then I'd say you have a point. The regulators aren't concerned with the 30%. Their concern is with the fact you can't go to another store and shop for a better price. THAT is what they're trying to fix. Watch out though - deregulation and market competition all-too-often leads to higher prices. People always act surprised by this.

Re: Apple avoids job cuts because it didn’t overhire like Google and Amazon

#168

Post by jimbokun »

Patrol8394 wrote: post #156

It all comes down to Apple being a very focused company. They know their customers, what they want and they have a much better business model. Steve Jobs once explained it by saying they say no to a lots of things even to those who seem on paper great ideas. All that to stay focus. On the other hand, Google is all over the places, they are very distracted and confident that they will always be the indisputable kind i…

Which is interesting because the whole purpose of setting up Alphabet was to diversity revenue streams. But I don't think any of those efforts have generated significant revenue relative to their core business.

Re: Apple avoids job cuts because it didn’t overhire like Google and Amazon

#169

Post by simonh »

inetknght wrote: post #87
etempleton wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Growing too fast is damaging to both culture and productivity. You have a bunch of people starting that are still learning. Depending on the job and the person it can take a full year to be fully competent in a job. Apple was smart to move slower. They are probably one of the best run companies in the world.

> [Apple is] probably one of the best run companies in the world. I would argue that perhaps Apple's business side of things is arguably well-run. I personally disagree; I think that since Tim Cook has taken over, Apple's business focus is more on short-term gains instead of long-term quality. But I would also strongly argue that their software side of things has been trending downward ( especially in terms of qualit…

I don't know, people have been lamenting the poor quality of Apple software and how much better it was in the old days since I got my first Mac in 2007, at least that's when I became aware of the complaints. If it was really on a substantial continual down trend from then, by now nothing would work at all. Apple continues to invest massively in software, that means a ton of new code, which means a ton of new bugs. You can't develop new software and not have quality issues.

Apple continues to make extremely long term highly strategic investments. You don't get to develop a highly original, industry leading SOC architecture without long term investment in technology. Bankrolling new process node development and thereby locking in capacity in strategic contracts doesn't happen by accident or on a whim. Development and implementation of the Apple watch happened entirely in the post-Jobs era.

So I just don't see it, they continue to commit to heavy long term investment in capital intensive technology projects and innovative new products. Not everything works out. The touch bar and butterfly keyboards were notable misses. But then that's always been true. I look at the phones, desktops, laptops, watch, Airpods, iPads, etc. They're the most Apple-y products Apple has ever produced, and not a single one of them is a me-to product slapped together to ride a trend.

Re: Apple avoids job cuts because it didn’t overhire like Google and Amazon

#170

Post by motoxpro »

insane_dreamer wrote: post #152
mabbo wrote: post #32

Apple's underlying economics haven't changed, so they have not had any reason to over-hire in the first place. Amazon, Google, Meta, Shopify and others are all e-commerce based. There was a clear trend that e-commerce had shifted up due to the pandemic, and looked to be permanent. That bet was wrong, so they all had layoffs. Other companies were willing to hire lots of developers because the ROI on devs was good comp…

> looked to be permanent I don't believe that any CEO/CFO with half a brain actually thought this. Sure, things wouldn't return to pre-pandemic levels necessarily, but the COVID-induced state was not going to permanently change human behavior. > ROI on devs was good compared to low inflation and low interest rates. Then both of those things changed this is more the reason; the "mea culpa, how could we have known" exc…

For CEOs that thought this would be permanent see Shopify and Amazon. Both have said this publicly and Amazon spent billions on transportation infra. They are not stupid.
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