Fortune recently published an article by Adam Lashinsky titled “Inside Apple” that provides dozens of insights into the business and culture at Apple, as well as the mindset of its CEO, Steve Jobs. There are several juicy quotes and facts in it pulled from interviews with Apple employees, including Jobs’ reaction to the botched MobileMe and iPhone 3G launch in 2008. When the launch didn’t go as planned, Jobs called the MobileMe team into a town hall meeting and said the whole group was “tarnishing Apple’s reputation.” Jobs went on, “Can anyone tell me what MobileMe is supposed to do?” Upon hearing a response, Jobs wondered aloud, “So why the f*** doesn’t it do that?” Lashinsky also also discussed a speech that Jobs gives to employees rising to the rank of vice president, dubbed “Difference Between the Janitor and the Vice President.” In it, Jobs tells the new VP that it’s OK for a janitor to make excuses when things go wrong — but a VP doesn’t have that luxury. “Somewhere between the janitor and the CEO, reasons stop mattering. [That] Rubicon is crossed when you become a VP,” Jobs reportedly says during the speech. Lashinsky’s story is available in the latest issue of Forbes, which can be purchased in print, on the iPad for $4.99 or through Amazon’s Kindle store.
[Via MacStories]
