Lessons from Inside Apple: Why Focus is Horrifyingly Scary • Hacker News Board

Re: Lessons from Inside Apple: Why Focus is Horrifyingly Scary

#21

Post by hef19898 » Wed, Jun 13, 2012, 9:14 AM UTC

rkwz wrote: post #19

alexro wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> If you’re not scared, you’re not focused I think it's a faulty claim. Doesn't work like this in many fields: science, martial arts, medicine (particularly neurosurgery), etc.

It was said in the context of startups/business. Say that you'd like to work on two projects - A and B. Atleast one of them needs to succeed or you'll go bankrupt(or something). Now, most people will probably think that if they divide their attention between both projects, they have a higher chance of bringing in some money. The thinking here is "Even if A doesn't take off, B might still bring in some money". So, B i…

I prefer the martial arts focus. Like in follow through what ever you are currently doing by 100% but be ready to do something different when you done with that. And if what you are currently doing brings you into a good position to do something different no matter if it worked or not it's even better!

Re: Lessons from Inside Apple: Why Focus is Horrifyingly Scary

#22

Post by hef19898 » Wed, Jun 13, 2012, 9:19 AM UTC

simonh wrote: post #14

At my last company we had one project everyone knew was in crisis, but it was 'strategic' and mandated from on high. At one meeting the product manager wanted to focus us on the highest priority issues - it turned out to be a list of more than 10 poorly defined issues. Great job, great people, but management wanted everything and they wanted it now. Nine months later and I've just finished my probation period at a sm…

My guess is that when things really get critical it is easier for some people not ot focus on them. And not because focus is scary but what you will see when you focus is.

These are the moments where you see if your management consists of (war) leaders or administrators. I say leader for lack of a better word for it. What I have seen is that there are some people that are really good in tough, critical situations and others in the routine day-to-day situations. It's more than just rare that you have both abilities in one person.

Maybe that's why some tribal culture have different leaders for war and peace time.

Re: Lessons from Inside Apple: Why Focus is Horrifyingly Scary

#23

Post by alexro » Wed, Jun 13, 2012, 9:20 AM UTC

rkwz wrote: post #19

alexro wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> If you’re not scared, you’re not focused I think it's a faulty claim. Doesn't work like this in many fields: science, martial arts, medicine (particularly neurosurgery), etc.

It was said in the context of startups/business. Say that you'd like to work on two projects - A and B. Atleast one of them needs to succeed or you'll go bankrupt(or something). Now, most people will probably think that if they divide their attention between both projects, they have a higher chance of bringing in some money. The thinking here is "Even if A doesn't take off, B might still bring in some money". So, B i…

The wording doesn't work for me. Say, I own 2 homes and I want to sell 1 to pay debt. I understand that this is my future home and I won't get the other one back. Especially if the places are in different countries. Do I get scared? If not, can I stay focused?

They go overboard with this 'go bankrupt' argument to scare themselves to fight. It is the same as if the surgeons would start thinking 'Oh God, this patient is gonna die if I make a mistake' all the time. I don't see how this can help the patients.

Re: Lessons from Inside Apple: Why Focus is Horrifyingly Scary

#24

Post by its_so_on » Wed, Jun 13, 2012, 9:42 AM UTC

gnarbarian wrote: post #3

>"Arguments at Apple are personal and confrontational. This began at the top, and it is part of the company’s culture." That sounds like a terrible environment.

It's a terrible environment, but I bet being a supreme court Justice is also a terrible environment. It also brings out profound conclusions and vision.

When Apple says that battery-life is important in mobile devices, they mean it. If Samsung says it, maybe a year later they will turn around and bring out an eight-core phone that you can play a game on for forty-five minutes before having to plug it in again.

Apple isn't just opinionated: it's opinionated on hugely difficult technical issues that don't even exist in the wild yet. (As when they release a new category.) You only get that through violent discourse with egos on the line.

edit: a similar thing happens at Google, but not when it comes to ergonomics or user interfaces and usability with the same hardware devices Apple makes, but instead when it comes to solving certain problems on a massive scale. The result is that Google can't really release a laptop that's as usable as a Macbook in the same domain, and for everyone, and Apple can't really solve the ops issues that it would take to bring out a Google Search competitor. There is huge amount of discourse (of a radically different nature) at both companies.

Re: Lessons from Inside Apple: Why Focus is Horrifyingly Scary

#25

Post by taligent » Wed, Jun 13, 2012, 9:43 AM UTC

reedlaw wrote: post #10

fratis wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whether or not Apple's corporate culture is "controlling" (though I don't really understand why you're conflating 'confrontational' with 'controlling' in the first place) does not directly impact whether policies towards consumers are restrictive. Since the two seem related, I can see why you'd slip into that, but your claim is really a non sequitur. Also, that article is about a patent lawsuit being brought against…

Here's just one example of the controlling nature of Apple from the article: > Andy Miller, who joined Apple as a vice president after Apple bought his mobile advertising company in 2009, asked Jobs if he could join the board of an independent company in a different business than Apple. “What?” Jobs responded. “You’re barely cutting it here,” Jobs said, which Miller understood to be relatively high praise, “and you w…

What's controlling about that ?

Expecting a board member at a critical time in Apple's turnaround to dedicate 100% of the time to Apple is hardly controlling. In fact I would deem it common sense.

Re: Lessons from Inside Apple: Why Focus is Horrifyingly Scary

#26

Post by taligent » Wed, Jun 13, 2012, 9:45 AM UTC

tudorw wrote: post #15

Sounds like a massive exercise in ball waving ego' nonsense, I am pretty sure this is not how real progress is made... It's not as if anything Apple did was truly original (suit on), they are great finishers but I believe true innovation comes from co-operation.

I fail to see how turning around a company from nearly bankruptcy to the largest in the industry isn't progress.

Re: Lessons from Inside Apple: Why Focus is Horrifyingly Scary

#27

Post by fpgeek » Wed, Jun 13, 2012, 10:03 AM UTC

its_so_on wrote: post #24

gnarbarian wrote: post #3

>"Arguments at Apple are personal and confrontational. This began at the top, and it is part of the company’s culture." That sounds like a terrible environment.

It's a terrible environment, but I bet being a supreme court Justice is also a terrible environment. It also brings out profound conclusions and vision. When Apple says that battery-life is important in mobile devices, they mean it. If Samsung says it, maybe a year later they will turn around and bring out an eight-core phone that you can play a game on for forty-five minutes before having to plug it in again. Apple…

> When Apple says that battery-life is important in mobile devices, they mean it

No, they don't. They mean battery life is important in mobile devices as long as it doesn't get in the way of making them thin (among other things). After all, the modern smartphone with the best battery life is the Droid RAZR MAXX (soon to be dethroned by its international sibling the Motorola RAZR MAXX, which doesn't have the battery-life handicap of an LTE radio).

Re: Lessons from Inside Apple: Why Focus is Horrifyingly Scary

#28

Post by reedlaw » Wed, Jun 13, 2012, 10:07 AM UTC

taligent wrote: post #25

reedlaw wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's just one example of the controlling nature of Apple from the article: > Andy Miller, who joined Apple as a vice president after Apple bought his mobile advertising company in 2009, asked Jobs if he could join the board of an independent company in a different business than Apple. “What?” Jobs responded. “You’re barely cutting it here,” Jobs said, which Miller understood to be relatively high praise, “and you w…

What's controlling about that ? Expecting a board member at a critical time in Apple's turnaround to dedicate 100% of the time to Apple is hardly controlling. In fact I would deem it common sense.

> "I don’t even let Forstall out of the office."

Maybe a joke, but one only a very controlling person could make.

Re: Lessons from Inside Apple: Why Focus is Horrifyingly Scary

#29

Post by its_so_on » Wed, Jun 13, 2012, 10:12 AM UTC

fpgeek wrote: post #27

its_so_on wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a terrible environment, but I bet being a supreme court Justice is also a terrible environment. It also brings out profound conclusions and vision. When Apple says that battery-life is important in mobile devices, they mean it. If Samsung says it, maybe a year later they will turn around and bring out an eight-core phone that you can play a game on for forty-five minutes before having to plug it in again. Apple…

> When Apple says that battery-life is important in mobile devices, they mean it No, they don't. They mean battery life is important in mobile devices as long as it doesn't get in the way of making them thin (among other things). After all, the modern smartphone with the best battery life is the Droid RAZR MAXX (soon to be dethroned by its international sibling the Motorola RAZR MAXX, which doesn't have the battery-l…

Apple would never release a laptop with a 1.5 hour battery (wifi web browsing). an unimaginable number of such laptops are brought out by every major brand other than Apple.

(likewise apple has its standards in a phone, which is not the standard you cite, but not 45 minutes either.).

Apple is opinionated on every part of the user interface and design, on usability and ease-of-use. They then go on to put their money where their mouth is, and practice what they preach. (For the most part.)

It's very hard to find design decisions at Apple that seem to have 0 thought or discussion behind them. This is the norm at other companies.

Re: Lessons from Inside Apple: Why Focus is Horrifyingly Scary

#30

Post by fpgeek » Wed, Jun 13, 2012, 10:16 AM UTC

taligent wrote: post #25

reedlaw wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's just one example of the controlling nature of Apple from the article: > Andy Miller, who joined Apple as a vice president after Apple bought his mobile advertising company in 2009, asked Jobs if he could join the board of an independent company in a different business than Apple. “What?” Jobs responded. “You’re barely cutting it here,” Jobs said, which Miller understood to be relatively high praise, “and you w…

What's controlling about that ? Expecting a board member at a critical time in Apple's turnaround to dedicate 100% of the time to Apple is hardly controlling. In fact I would deem it common sense.

First, 2009 (or later I suppose) was a critical time in Apple's turnaround?

Second, the anecdote in question is about an Apple executive wanting to be a board member somewhere else. Plenty of executives (at companies other than Apple) are board members elsewhere, so Jobs' refusal is at least noteworthy. And since the refusal seems at least partly motivated by limiting an employee's outside interests, that does sound controlling (try replacing the subject of the conversation another professional activity that had a similarly modest time commitment).

It's also worth noting that the executive in question left Apple last summer.