Tim Cook doesn’t want surprises, he wants routine. His vision of Apple is that of a company growing from an economist’s point of view, without great technological agitation, without excessive innovation. This led to him being called a conservative. But also to secure the company’s position and increase it to 3.5 billion capitalization.
On the other hand, everyone who has encountered Steve Jobs in the past, even if only for a moment, shares anecdotes about him. This includes all types of people. Yes, also to those leaders who, a few decades ago, were important figures in the world of electronics and who today contrast what they experienced with current times. This is the case of Allan Alcorn, former CEO of Atari and creator of the legendary game “Pong”. Allan hired and got to know Steve Jobs well. And in an interview, he didn’t mince his words: he said that seeing Tim Cook in his place “is painful.” For several reasons.
Steve Jobs was not a “lone wolf”
Alcorn made the comment in an interview with Alta, which also included former Apple employee Andy Hertzfeld and journalist Tom Zito. It addresses several facets of the young Steve Jobs who worked at Atari, one of them being the “undeserved” fame he had for being a lone wolf. It’s one thing for him to take long walks to solve problems and another to call him unsociable.
And mind you, maybe his habits sent him to work in office basements at that time. But looking back, Alcorn believes Steve was very good at working in a team. He motivated them to do the work he was not capable of doing, by expressing himself as only he could convince. It’s not for nothing that there were a series of rules and strategies to get the most out of each employee, such as placing your most valuable colleagues at a certain distance.
A justified criticism?
Regarding his image, in the interview they comment on how Steve’s “aura” shone best in Apple presentations. “He was the personification of Apple to the public,” says Tom Zito, to whom Alcorn adds that in comparison, “it’s painful” to watch Tim Cook make these same presentations:
“Yes, Steve Jobs was [brillante en sus presentaciones]. Better than Tim Cook too. Tim Cook is painful to watch. […] Why don’t they stop doing it? »
The truth is that this is a harsh criticism that simply seems to address a question of preferences. But it’s clear that the former Atari CEO isn’t sold on the Tim Cook-era style of Apple events. They are more and more dynamic, lighter, more social. It seems that Steve Jobs was the only one capable of attracting both techies and lifestyle enthusiasts.. And he’s missing the magic this happened when Steve Jobs took the stage. The interview was conducted in 2019, when we still didn’t know what a pre-recorded Apple event was. In fact, they all are.
Everyone has their opinion on events at Apple since the death of Steve Jobs, and this is ours: it is very difficult to replace Steve Jobs. Human beings are not replaceable, regardless of their performance. But Tim Cook adopted his own style of behavingclearly improving since its first keynotes in 2011. And Apple can’t just be one person. That’s why I like that in more recent events, many more people are taking center stage when it comes to breaking news. A more plural Apple is an Apple that speaks to more people.
An older version of this article was originally published on 10/10/2023.
In Applesfera | While working at Atari, Steve Jobs was barred from the ground floor due to his attire.
In Applesfera | Locked in a basement and without a shower, this is how Steve Jobs worked at Atari because he “didn’t fit in anywhere”
