Kal Korff

Steve Jobs Greatest Unheralded Legacy

by Kal K. Korff
Internationally Syndicated Copyright 2011 by Kal K. Korff - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

When one ponders the enormous loss of creative computing genius Steve Jobs, the news of his death has dominated front page headlines around the world and justifiably so, it is tempting to think about the great array of products he was directly responsible for. The Apple I, Apple II, Lisa, Mac, Apple IIc, Newton, Mac II, LaserWriter, iMac, iBook, MacBook, iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad, AppleWorks, MacPaint, Pages, Keynote and iCloud are of course some key historic achievements which come to mind. Yet products alone do not tell the full story, as great as these unquestionably are. To manufacture devices and make them all pervasive and truly successful, it requires great management which means great personnel. Steve Jobs final act of greatness was not the iPad. Instead, it was a series of secret moves which have gone largely unnoticed by the media, even long-time Apple pundits. Ever since Jobs knew that he was terminally ill, struck down in the prime of his life with a rare form of pancreatic cancer, his final touch was to install a team and the infrastructure to guarantee that Apple prospers long after his departure. Jobs did this by creating what is called Apple University. His secret efforts to revamp it is very much like the program he implemented at Pixar called Pixar University, the other company he ran with equal incredible success. Apple University trains employees to Think Different - Think Like Steve Jobs. Its curriculum is founded in support of Apples culture and the five main commandments Jobs always pushed and lived his life by, the AAPSS Principles: Accountability, Attention to detail, Perfectionism, Simplicity and Secrecy.

Apple University is run by former Yale University professor Joe Polodny. Jobs hired him away from Yale just as he was expected to head it. Polodny was a long time Apple enthusiast. He famously let it be known that he used a Mac to write his thesis on, and learned how to program applications. When Steve Jobs selected him, it was a dream come true. He explained his thoughts in his departure letter to his shocked students, who had no idea Jobs was whisking him away. While there are many great companies, I cannot think of one that has had as tremendous personal meaning for me as Apple, Polodny wrote. He has led Apple University since 2008 and has never looked back. The fact that Steve Jobs awareness of his own terminal condition played a pivotal role in making sure that the past three years have been focused on long term succession, can be found in the fact that Jobs started the initiative in 2005, but let it largely languish until 2008, when he was forced to take his second medical leave. It was then that Jobs signed Polodny. Jobs health never recovered. With each public appearance, although always energetic and charismatic as usual, his continued weight loss and deterioration was noticeable. It was obvious things were not improving. Jobs secretly created Apple University to make sure that the best brains not only stayed around, but could excel and exceed the companys insanely great expectations. Jobs replacement, CEO Tim Cook, has signed on board for another ten years. Jobs main management team are all longtime loyalists. During the next five years, they will work to steer through yet another generation of insanely great employees, to continue the incredible legacy Steve Jobs not only founded and perfected, but planned to forever build upon. 1.0v1 Oct 8, 2011 Kal K. Korff is an officially accredited internationally known author, columnist and investigative journalist.

Copyright 2011 by Kal K. Korff - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this content may be reproduced in any form nor by any means without the express, written consent of Kal Korff. Fair use, does NOT apply. By reading this document, you willingly agree to be legally bound by its terms and conditions. Violators of this policy will have a felony DMCA Copyright infringement notice filed against them with law enforcement. First time offenders may be fined up to $500,000, imprisoned for five years, or both. For repeat offenders, the maximum penalty increases to a fine of $1,000,000, imprisonment for up to ten years, or both. This is a DMCA protected document, illegal copying and/or reproduction of its contents are tracked on the Internet and reported to law enforcement for felony prosecution.

Copyright 2011 by Kal K. Korff - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this content may be reproduced in any form nor by any means without the express, written consent of Kal Korff. Fair use, does NOT apply. By reading this document, you willingly agree to be legally bound by its terms and conditions. Violators of this policy will have a felony DMCA Copyright infringement notice filed against them with law enforcement. First time offenders may be fined up to $500,000, imprisoned for five years, or both. For repeat offenders, the maximum penalty increases to a fine of $1,000,000, imprisonment for up to ten years, or both. This is a DMCA protected document, illegal copying and/or reproduction of its contents are tracked on the Internet and reported to law enforcement for felony prosecution.