Quick poll: who here doesn't want infotainment software in their car? How about keeping cars limited to 1990s level logic: basic ICs, fuel / emissions / safety control (abs, airbags). Something like 1990s Mazda with a japanese-size pickup, miata & basic sedan / hatchback.
Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software
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Re: Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software
#82I'm stunned someone like GM could entice anyone from top-tier tech firms AT ALL, regardless of compensation.
Re: Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software
#83Earlier quoted context omitted.
My understanding of GM is that they outsource almost everything. Last time I hired an embedded software engineer from them, the guy felt he was in a very tiny niche within the company and it was a fluke his group still existed to write code. Infotainment systems may be different, but suppliers were doing most of the code several years back (I hired one of those guys too). With the desire to bring SaaS to automotive I…
>My understanding of GM is that they outsource almost everything. Every single automaker outsources nearly everything under the bodywork related to engineering and development to their suppliers. VW, Renault, BMW, Mercedes, etc. all of them do it.
Re: Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software
#84Earlier quoted context omitted.
> but I am gobsmacked at just how terrible modern vehicles are CarPlay, adaptive cruise control, lane assist, automatic lights (brights, on/off, turning), cameras, remote start from my phone, and lots of other things are awesome modern additions to cars that I wouldn't want to go without anymore.
Lane assist done poorly (seen on my latest Toyota Corolla rental) is distracting and made me want to turn it off. Any advanced features that are rushed or poorly thought out - can turn into liabilities instead of assets.
That said, I still enjoy most of the modern computer conveniences that cars have. Remote start is great, cameras are great, so I'm sure more and more good/safe designs will come with time.
Re: Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software
#85Quick poll: who here doesn't want infotainment software in their car? How about keeping cars limited to 1990s level logic: basic ICs, fuel / emissions / safety control (abs, airbags). Something like 1990s Mazda with a japanese-size pickup, miata & basic sedan / hatchback.
Re: Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software
#86Quick poll: who here doesn't want infotainment software in their car? How about keeping cars limited to 1990s level logic: basic ICs, fuel / emissions / safety control (abs, airbags). Something like 1990s Mazda with a japanese-size pickup, miata & basic sedan / hatchback.
Re: Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software
#87Mike Abbott was kicked out of Apple where he didn’t make any meaningful contribution. Why GM is picking him up? Another wasteful move.
This is utter bullshit, as a cloud Apple employee. Mike was an excellent leader in iCloud, championed a whole bunch of new tech, and took a failing business and made it massively profitable. I don't think anyone in Eddy's org was happy to see him go.
Re: Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software
#88I'm stunned someone like GM could entice anyone from top-tier tech firms AT ALL, regardless of compensation.
IMHO, most tech ICs have literally no idea what comp packages look like when you get out of the bottom and middle. Sure, they know that Pichai is making $220M a year but they recognize that's unusual. Making $10M+ a year, though, isn't that unusual in these big companies once you are an SVP or EVP plus lots of deferred comp perks and so on.
Strategically, you work at tier one companies in order to _facilitate_ these career moves. The FANG/etc.-focused crowd needs to ask themselves what their terminal goals are.
Re: Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software
#89The 2022 Chevy Silverado I rented died at 488 miles on the odometer. The roadside assistance mechanic said the transmission "lost data connection to the engine". Later, a tow truck had to drag it onto it's flatbed as the rear wheels were locked up. Also, apparently the tailgate is electric now. And for some reason it stopped working when the transmission died. Also also, there is no way to turn the truck off? When it…
Worth pointing out that GM actually failed as a business and only survived the 2008 recession because the government briefly nationalized it as part of an economic bailout. In a free market GM wouldn’t exist.
Economics are politics, and as such are a little more complicated than that one chart you saw in high school.
Re: Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software
#90I'm stunned someone like GM could entice anyone from top-tier tech firms AT ALL, regardless of compensation.
Also, at GM he's reporting directly to the CEO whereas at Apple he reported to Eddy Cue who reported to Tim Cook. This move puts him one level closer to the CEO spot.