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Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

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Re: Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

#131

Post by coldtea »

jbhatab wrote: post #120
coldtea wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Basically at 25 he started running as fast as he could and it must seem to him that he hasn't stopped to catch his breath since. Every day new shit happens in the Google empire that only the CEO can deal with, and he, as CEO, has to deal with it. If he goes on vacation for even a week, a whole week's backlog of shit accumulates. With the difference that unlike a poor single working mother, or some 40-something fact…

It's more than difficult to just drop a company that you can lead with the best direction when you have so many people close to you that depend on its success. So yes he can leave, but there is more than just his paycheck on the line if he quits.

Nobody is irreplaceable. And he doesn't do such a good job in the first place.

Re: Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

#132

Post by coldtea »

mchan wrote: post #117
Chinjut wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think everyone deserves sympathy, because everyone is a human being. Larry Page's life as a CEO is surely stressful and he deserves sympathy for it. But I bet there are plenty of "poor single mother"s and "40-something factory worker"s with very stressful lives too, in many cases even more stressful than any billionaire CEO's. That can't be denied.

But think about the sort of pressure that would be on Larry's shoulders. If he quits, or makes the wrong decision, that potentially affects thousands of his employees, and their families. For a poor single mother or 40 something factory worker, their stress is more localised to their own family's well-being. I think the problem here is that people try to compare or value stress on a scale of entitlement. I don't thin…

>But think about the sort of pressure that would be on Larry's shoulders. If he quits, or makes the wrong decision, that potentially affects thousands of his employees, and their families.

And yet, a vast majority of CEOs don't give a fuck about all this, and can destroy companies happily, and fly to another on their golden parachutes.

Re: Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

#133

Post by elmigranto »

mchan wrote: post #117
Chinjut wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think everyone deserves sympathy, because everyone is a human being. Larry Page's life as a CEO is surely stressful and he deserves sympathy for it. But I bet there are plenty of "poor single mother"s and "40-something factory worker"s with very stressful lives too, in many cases even more stressful than any billionaire CEO's. That can't be denied.

But think about the sort of pressure that would be on Larry's shoulders. If he quits, or makes the wrong decision, that potentially affects thousands of his employees, and their families. For a poor single mother or 40 something factory worker, their stress is more localised to their own family's well-being. I think the problem here is that people try to compare or value stress on a scale of entitlement. I don't thin…

> If he quits, or makes the wrong decision, that potentially affects thousands of his employees, and their families.

He is remarkable in every way possible, but I doubt this is true. World won't end, if he quits. Google and everyone in there will be just fine. Look at Jobs (and many other "irreplaceable" people), for example.

Re: Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

#134

Post by pacala »

Animats wrote: post #13
icpmacdo wrote: post #2

PG talked about this in his talk 'before the startup' "Larry Page may seem to have an enviable life, but there are aspects of it that are unenviable. Basically at 25 he started running as fast as he could and it must seem to him that he hasn't stopped to catch his breath since. Every day new shit happens in the Google empire that only the CEO can deal with, and he, as CEO, has to deal with it. If he goes on vacation…

Google is in some ways easier, because there's no real threat to their cash cow, search ads. Apple has to stay ahead of competition in phones. That competition is now quite good, and usually cheaper. As CEO of Apple, Cook is expected to deliver the Next Big Thing. So far, he hasn't, and he's running out of time. (Cars? Tough, low-margin business. VR? Niche market. Watches? Tried that. Robots? Not ready yet. Voice AI?…

Next Big Thing: Knowledge. As a product, not as a loss leader for ads.

Re: Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

#135

Post by nostrademons »

coldtea wrote: post #130
haberman wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thesis was "some aspects of Larry Page's life are unenviable." Not "Larry Page's life is as hard as a poor single working mother." If you dismiss difficult aspects of a person's life because somebody else has it worse, then nobody actually has a hard life except for starving children in Africa. Maybe not even them: captives who suffer regular torture and indignity probably have it worse. Or modern-day slaves.

Even if "some aspects of Larry Page's life are unenviable", what part of "he can quit anytime" doesn't still hold? Some parts of everyone's life are unenviable. That said, I don't think it makes much sense to comparmentalize working lives into "enviable" and "unenviable" parts. The end result is what matters, and the bottom line is that he has billions to show for it, can work as little or as much as he wants (the ot…

haberman's point still holds: nothing's really stopping a poor single working mom from being a starving woman in Africa, or a captive suffering torture and indignity. There are plenty of starving people elsewhere in the world who literally risk their lives to be a poor single working person in America.

Re: Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

#136

Post by aetherson »

zepto wrote: post #126
geomark wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My impression is that the watch sold mainly because of Apple branding not because it solved a real problem or opened up an entire new market. People are hoping/expecting Apple's next big thing to become a viral hit lke the iPhone. The watch isn't that.

The watch is selling well and continuing to grow at a rate greater than the iPhone did over the same period.

What's your source?

Re: Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

#137

Post by noam87 »

bitmapbrother wrote: post #111
krisdol wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> and partly because billionaires get less than zero sympathy if they talk about having difficult lives That quote from the essay reminds me of a Silicon Valley scene [1] where the CEO of the pseudo-Google company in the show gets vilified (rightfully so in the show) for complaining about how hard billionaires have it in this country. I bet the creator's read PG's essay and were inspired by it. [1]: https://www.youtu…

>pseudo-Google company I don't get why people think Hooli is some pseudo-Google company. In the Silicon Valley universe Google clearly exists. Eric Schmidt was in their series premiere and the show's opening intro animation clearly shows Google and YouTube.

Hooli strikes me as a Google-sized Uber.

Re: Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

#138

Post by icantdrive55 »

mchan wrote: post #117
Chinjut wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think everyone deserves sympathy, because everyone is a human being. Larry Page's life as a CEO is surely stressful and he deserves sympathy for it. But I bet there are plenty of "poor single mother"s and "40-something factory worker"s with very stressful lives too, in many cases even more stressful than any billionaire CEO's. That can't be denied.

But think about the sort of pressure that would be on Larry's shoulders. If he quits, or makes the wrong decision, that potentially affects thousands of his employees, and their families. For a poor single mother or 40 something factory worker, their stress is more localised to their own family's well-being. I think the problem here is that people try to compare or value stress on a scale of entitlement. I don't thin…

"If he quits, or makes the wrong decision, that potentially affects thousands of his employees, and their families."

Do you really think CEO's care about the help? Watch what happens if Google gets broken up, or takes a nose dive like so many companies. That Playland campus will just be a story we reminisce about. Larry Page, nor any of the others won't be crying in their wine.

They will take their safe money and do something else. Bill Gates had the hubris to think he could solve the worlds problems with his wealth. I always felt it was our wealth? He practically "strong armed" every pc user.

"Oh he's being negative! Let's get him with our finger." I don't think I'm being negative, just a realist. I have seen too many CEO's decimate companies when the wind starts to blow in another direction. They always fatten their stake.

I think people are selfish by nature. When they become wealthy, and the one in charge; they just get worse. I really can't think of an exception?

Re: Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

#139

Post by thewhitetulip »

LargeCompanies wrote: post #109
coldtea wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm a six year iPhone owner who based off of the iPhone 7 rumors it's going to underwhelm in the innovation department and lose this customer. Yeah, because better CPU, GPU, camera(s), and such are not innovative enough... > The Note 7 looks awesome due to it being waterproof and other features Apple hasn't bothered to include. Yeah, for those of us using our phone on the shower it will be a god-send. Waterproof! S…

Also, I mentioned Google Now vs. Siri where Google Now is light years ahead. It understands all my spoken requests and that's a big deal when driving! Overall, I want waterproof.. wireless charging... Google Now type AI vs. Siri. Their competitors have this .. iPhone 7 should have all or some of these features yet it won't. Only good thing about the iPhone is it's more secure then Android. Putting my credit on an And…

Not to be nitpicking, but light years is a measure of distance and not of time :-)

Re: Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

#140

Post by xapata »

nostrademons wrote: post #135
coldtea wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if "some aspects of Larry Page's life are unenviable", what part of "he can quit anytime" doesn't still hold? Some parts of everyone's life are unenviable. That said, I don't think it makes much sense to comparmentalize working lives into "enviable" and "unenviable" parts. The end result is what matters, and the bottom line is that he has billions to show for it, can work as little or as much as he wants (the ot…

haberman's point still holds: nothing's really stopping a poor single working mom from being a starving woman in Africa, or a captive suffering torture and indignity. There are plenty of starving people elsewhere in the world who literally risk their lives to be a poor single working person in America.

My wife sometimes provides medical care to "undocumented workers". She tells me stories of folks working 3 jobs, bosses who refuse to pay (illegals can't call the cops), working through hernias and other ailments, and all the while happy to be sending money back to their families elsewhere.

It's mind-boggling how bad it must be in some places. And yet, I'm sure that most residents of these "bad" places are probably happy day-to-day, hanging out with friends and family.

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