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Apple's inspirational note to new hires

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Re: Apple's inspirational note to new hires

#41

Post by marvin »

chc wrote: post #24
davidw wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I had a similar reaction to that line. I might consider working weekends if I get something out of it other than "swimming in the deep end", like, say, extra money, or the prospect of extra money in the future in the case of a startup where one puts in that kind of time in the hope of future rewards. That is made possible by having a significant equity stake in the company. I mean, if you look at it from someth…

Making this material attractive to people who would just as soon work as quants is probably not Apple's goal here. If you don't react favorably, you probably aren't what they want. (I'm not saying this is necessarily a bad thing, just that if money is really all you can think of in a job, some companies are more OK with that and others prefer passion, and it's good that people suited for one kind don't end up at the…

Doesn't it somehow rub you the wrong way to pay employees in "passion" versus money? In my head, money is equivalent to respect.

If the majority of the earnings from your work goes to someone else and you still have to do work really hard ("because we're changing the world! everyone has to pitch in! weeeeee!!"), you are ipso facto in a position of weakness and are not earning the respect of your superiors.

There is something that seems very wrong about this.

Re: Apple's inspirational note to new hires

#42

Post by lionhearted »

josteink wrote: post #14

So like... A company bragging about itself in a way to make employees work more without asking to get paid for it? Can't say I've seen anything like that before. How original this makes Apple! Back to real life: every company claims to be best, unique or something like that. Some hollow, BS claim to motivate their employees. But just because they print it on a poster doesn't make it any more real. Apple is heartless…

Making computers accessible to everyday people is arguably one of the most important things for the overall development of the world. Apple is doing that.

Re: Apple's inspirational note to new hires

#44

Post by kalleboo »

ralfd wrote: post #31
dsirijus wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I had to provide credit card information to install FREE application from iTunes, and send copy of ID to Facebook to get my account unlocked (because of their obvious system-wide bug), all in one week, I gave up. I'll finish these Facebook apps I am contracted to build, wrap up iOS apps also under contract, and stick it to the man. No more of this hogwash.

You don't have to provide credit card to create an iTunes account. There is a "no payment" option and Apps can/have to be bought then with gift certificates.

Where's the no payment option? Only when you set up a new iOS device? http://imgb.mp/ic5.jpg

Re: Apple's inspirational note to new hires

#45

Post by ralfd »

dsirijus wrote: post #32
ralfd wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't have to provide credit card to create an iTunes account. There is a "no payment" option and Apps can/have to be bought then with gift certificates.

I personally encountered experience where no such option was provided. If you google around a bit, you might find I'm not the only one, and I kinda think that ain't a bug. Also, the Facebook requiring me to send them copy of my ID might also not be accidental.

I used quite a time ago a secondary iTunes US account without credit card. And now at least in my (german) account I can also edit the payment option to "none". But perhaps this is a regional thing required by law or necessity here (very few people have credit cards because our banking system doesn't suck and money transfer is easy).

Re: Apple's inspirational note to new hires

#46

Post by ralfd »

kalleboo wrote: post #44
ralfd wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't have to provide credit card to create an iTunes account. There is a "no payment" option and Apps can/have to be bought then with gift certificates.

Where's the no payment option? Only when you set up a new iOS device? http://imgb.mp/ic5.jpg

Ok, I googled…

This support doc details how to do it on creating a new account:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2534

But I honestly don't know if you can change it on an existing US based account to "none". Like in the other reply I can do it in my german based iTunes account (Keine = None)

http://imgur.com/c91MA.png

Re: Apple's inspirational note to new hires

#47

Post by dsirijus »

marcus wrote: post #38
josteink wrote: post #14

So like... A company bragging about itself in a way to make employees work more without asking to get paid for it? Can't say I've seen anything like that before. How original this makes Apple! Back to real life: every company claims to be best, unique or something like that. Some hollow, BS claim to motivate their employees. But just because they print it on a poster doesn't make it any more real. Apple is heartless…

This reminds me of a conversation I had once with a friend who worked in McKinsey, I told him "I might be smart enough to work for McKinsey, but I am definitely not stupid enough to work in McKinsey"

Police forces in my region, as a requirement, take an intelligence test that has to fit within bottom and TOP boundaries, for one to be accepted.

In absence of adequate personality test for the top-ranking, I guess all the organizations benefit from such strategy, as employment of highly intelligent individuals at non-leadership functions are correlated with organisational disruption. No citation on that, just solemn personal experience.

Rock and roll.

Re: Apple's inspirational note to new hires

#48

Post by dsirijus »

lionhearted wrote: post #42
josteink wrote: post #14

So like... A company bragging about itself in a way to make employees work more without asking to get paid for it? Can't say I've seen anything like that before. How original this makes Apple! Back to real life: every company claims to be best, unique or something like that. Some hollow, BS claim to motivate their employees. But just because they print it on a poster doesn't make it any more real. Apple is heartless…

Making computers accessible to everyday people is arguably one of the most important things for the overall development of the world. Apple is doing that.

And you make them accessible by charging more than anyone else for them?

Hello from the third world.

Re: Apple's inspirational note to new hires

#49

Post by praptak »

maeon3 wrote: post #33

Man, every post I'm reading is negative, it's just a motivational poster, I liked it. You only have on life, give it 100%. Whatever you are doing, do it like you only have one day left to do it with. I'm disappointed that HN would blow out of proportion the one cloud on the beautiful day.

> it's just a motivational poster

Here's my favourite quote about motivational posters, DeMarco & Lister "Peopleware":

"These motivational accessories, as they are called (including slogan coffee mugs, plaques, pins, key chains, and awards), are a triumph of form over substance. They seem to extol the importance of Quality, Leadership, Creativity, Teamwork, Loyalty, and a host of other organizational virtues. But they do so in such simplistic terms as to send an entirely different message: Management here believes that these virtues can be improved with posters rather than by hard work and managerial talent. Everyone quickly understands that the presence of the posters is a sure sign of the absence of hard work and talent."

More on this:

"Motivational accessories are phony enough to make most people's skin crawl. They do harm in healthy organizations. The only place where they do no harm is where they are ignored—as in companies where the harm was done long, long ago and people have ceased to register any further decline."

Re: Apple's inspirational note to new hires

#50

Post by lionhearted »

dsirijus wrote: post #48
lionhearted wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Making computers accessible to everyday people is arguably one of the most important things for the overall development of the world. Apple is doing that.

And you make them accessible by charging more than anyone else for them? Hello from the third world.

Historically, most innovations start expensive and as luxury goods, then the innovations are copied and diffused and become cheaper, and eventually commodities.

That seems to be happening here as well.

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