One of the first things that ex-Apple employees figure out quickly is that outside the Apple world, Apple isn't really a very big deal. That doesn't mean that there isn't some iPod buzz around Apple currently, it just means that most people don't follow the Apple news like those of us who have at one time or another been addicted to Apple products. So while many Apple fans follow wind changes in Cupertino, the rest of the world doesn't even know or care what MacWorld is.
Part of the reason behind this is Apple's reluctance to talk about its own products. There were times when I worked at Apple that we begged for a little computer advertising. I can remember one sales meeting where we were told in non uncertain terms, that if the company did corporate computer advertising, they didn't need a sales force. That would have been okay if Apple had a huge sales force but outside of education, Apple sales people are very rare. Certainly there were other challenges in getting out the Apple message.
I can remember a number of missed opportunities for Apple to get in front of important audiences. We always suspected the folks in Cupertino were afraid of the questions that the speakers might be asked. Then of course there was the absolute paranoia that some field person might give a presentation where someone from the media might be present or heaven forbid explain one of Apple's products to the media.
Today there has also been news about what Apple employees think about working at Apple. As in any corporation, a lot of it depends on your manager. There are good and bad managers at Apple. The higher in the food chain Apple managers get, the more time they spend managing up or taking care of their boss as opposed to leading their people.
Some of the comments that I saw today on AppleInsider confirm my experiences at Apple. I suspect other ex-Apple employees if any were interested in commenting would confirm some of the survey results mentioned on AppleInsider.
"There is a definite lack of emphasis on customers," said the employee, who holds a senior management position.
Of course if you have read many of my posts you know that the wide disparity in compensation is a huge problem for Apple. It is hard to keep track of the fortunes the executives are making, yet this comment is typical of the people really doing the work at Apple.
These sentiments were echoed by several employees responding to questions on salary and incentives. While those employees higher up in Apple's corporate hierarchy seemed pleased or content with their pay, a significant number of other employees complained about a lack of bonuses, raises, and stock options. Said one Apple product manager, "$59k a year with a 60 hour work week minimum. No bonuses. No stock options. No cell phone expense. Not what I would consider industry standard."
Today I was at a hamburger chain, Five Guys Famous Burgers. Besides great burgers, they had a sign posted on the soda machine.
You the customer are the most important visitor on our premises. You are not dependent on us, we are dependent on you. You are not an outsider in our business- you are part of it. We are not doing you a favor serving you.... you are doing us a favor by giving us the opportunity to do so.
Just compare that with your Apple experience. Even when you worship at Apple's altar, there is no assurance that Apple will treat you well. Remember Apple is about Apple, not you or your product needs. I love my Macintoshes and think OS X is a really nice OS. Neither of those things make Apple an admirable company that treats customers and employees well. It is just a company.
I don't want anyone to think that Apple wasn't a great journey for many years for me and many others. Yet the nature of the company has changed. As one recent graduate who chose to work for Microsoft instead of Apple relayed to a friend of mine, Apple is now all about Apple. Now it is never about the employees or employee development. Employees are supposed to sacrifice all for Apple, often for compensation that is below what they could get in other jobs. They stay because they are just as addicted to the tecnology as many of us are. Apple realizes they usually won't leave for better jobs so they don't have to pay as much.
Of course if you are one of the executives at Apple, the compensation picture is radically different. Just don't expect any of them to get far from Cupertino for long, someone might tell them to jump.
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