“Ex-Apple CEO John Sculley takes a similar look at his stint at the top of Apple, and says the company made a big mistake when it hired him as CEO,” Kahney reports. “It’s the most surprisingly frank admission I’ve ever heard anyone make about their career.”
Interview extract – recommended – here.
Full interview – recommended – here.
MacDailyNews Take: Mr. Obvious. Frank or not, that sonuvabitchin’ unprepared sugared water salesbozo signed away Apple’s crown jewels via a poorly-written contract with Microsoft and very nearly killed the company. As least he seems to know it and is willing to admit it.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “Arline M.” for the heads up.]
This man wants forgiveness…
This man wants forgiveness…
Really pretty interesting that a CEO in our culture would make such an honest statement.
I officially have 1/1,000,000 more respect for Sculley now.
Really pretty interesting that a CEO in our culture would make such an honest statement.
I officially have 1/1,000,000 more respect for Sculley now.
Thanks for all your help Mr. Sculley!!!
Thanks for all your help Mr. Sculley!!!
It doesn’t matter now, because the events that transpired helped shape the future of Apple, which I’d bet is a far more superior company today than it would have been had they not had the struggles they did at the time.
It doesn’t matter now, because the events that transpired helped shape the future of Apple, which I’d bet is a far more superior company today than it would have been had they not had the struggles they did at the time.
Forgiving a guy who admits he f__ked up is a lot easier than forgiving a guy who thinks he is brilliant. Gotta give Sculley credit for fessing up to his mistakes.
Forgiving a guy who admits he f__ked up is a lot easier than forgiving a guy who thinks he is brilliant. Gotta give Sculley credit for fessing up to his mistakes.
On the other hand, it seems likely that Apple (and Steve, too) needed to struggle in the wilderness for a while in order to make possible its current level of power and respect.
Maybe Sculley was exactly what Steve and Apple needed. Ironic.
On the other hand, it seems likely that Apple (and Steve, too) needed to struggle in the wilderness for a while in order to make possible its current level of power and respect.
Maybe Sculley was exactly what Steve and Apple needed. Ironic.
Will never happen again.
Will never happen again.
He’s got more sense of reality than Ballmer.
He’s got more sense of reality than Ballmer.
I have mixed feelings about Sculley and a lot of what-ifs. They say Jobs needed his extended sabbatical from Apple in order to become it’s savior later. Though if he had stayed and become the young Apple CEO, while he would have probably made mistakes, who’s to say Apples standing in the world would even be much greater than today as he evolved and matured within it’s ranks? Copeland OS might have had a better direction or scuttled much earlier for something a lot better.
But yeah Sculley was an a-hole who nearly cost mankind a precious gift and gave away the keys to OS supremacy to a couple of geeky used car con men, not realizing what he had (as Jobs no doubt would have).
Thank your lucky iPads the universe corrected this gaffe and reversed the direction of all the previous Apple CEO imbeciles who show that people who think like Steve Jobs are rare.
I have mixed feelings about Sculley and a lot of what-ifs. They say Jobs needed his extended sabbatical from Apple in order to become it’s savior later. Though if he had stayed and become the young Apple CEO, while he would have probably made mistakes, who’s to say Apples standing in the world would even be much greater than today as he evolved and matured within it’s ranks? Copeland OS might have had a better direction or scuttled much earlier for something a lot better.
But yeah Sculley was an a-hole who nearly cost mankind a precious gift and gave away the keys to OS supremacy to a couple of geeky used car con men, not realizing what he had (as Jobs no doubt would have).
Thank your lucky iPads the universe corrected this gaffe and reversed the direction of all the previous Apple CEO imbeciles who show that people who think like Steve Jobs are rare.
There are no coincidences.
There are no coincidences.
Don’t forget that Jobs made several major mistakes when he was at Apple. Those mistakes were possibly more important than what Scully did. Scully didn’t give the jewels away to MS. The deals to have MS write programs for the Mac that resulted in Apple losing control over overlapping windows and other OS features wasn’t Scully’s fault. That was done before he got there. It was a result of faulty contracts written by the legal team.
Apple wasn’t doing badly when he left, just not as well as the board wanted. The real problem came from decisions made by his successor, Michael Spindler.
Don’t forget that Jobs made several major mistakes when he was at Apple. Those mistakes were possibly more important than what Scully did. Scully didn’t give the jewels away to MS. The deals to have MS write programs for the Mac that resulted in Apple losing control over overlapping windows and other OS features wasn’t Scully’s fault. That was done before he got there. It was a result of faulty contracts written by the legal team.
Apple wasn’t doing badly when he left, just not as well as the board wanted. The real problem came from decisions made by his successor, Michael Spindler.
I’ve heard John Sculley speak once. He is an incredibly sharp and talented guy. I was very impressed. I don’t think he was a bad CEO. It’s just when you compare ANY CEO to Steve Jobs, well they just all average at best.
I’ve heard John Sculley speak once. He is an incredibly sharp and talented guy. I was very impressed. I don’t think he was a bad CEO. It’s just when you compare ANY CEO to Steve Jobs, well they just all average at best.
If Jobs had stayed, would Apple have achieved today’s success back then in 1985? I think Apple would have avoided going through near death had Jobs stayed on. It is his baby after all.
One thing can’t be denied though. Jobs picked Sculley. Jobs also revealed Apple’s GUI secrets to Gates and company. Obviously Jobs had a lot to learn about character.
If Jobs had stayed, would Apple have achieved today’s success back then in 1985? I think Apple would have avoided going through near death had Jobs stayed on. It is his baby after all.
One thing can’t be denied though. Jobs picked Sculley. Jobs also revealed Apple’s GUI secrets to Gates and company. Obviously Jobs had a lot to learn about character.
It only takes a coward to claim success…..it takes a brave man to admit failure…
It only takes a coward to claim success…..it takes a brave man to admit failure…
Sculley did you just sully your name? Oh, you did that a while ago – at Apple.
Sculley did you just sully your name? Oh, you did that a while ago – at Apple.
Everything is as it is.
Everything is as it is.
Imagine where we would be today without Scully’s interference. Of course, it is a slippery slope because Jobs hired him originally… but still, perhaps the iPhone would have come a few years earlier. Or the iMac or iPod… Either way, it worked well as it did.
Sure Jobs has made some mistakes – but I would say they are mainly due to his vision extending too far in front… Not for anything less.
In my mind, if Jobs does not want to speak with Scully, Scully must have said some really nasty things to him, which Jobs cannot forgive.
Imagine where we would be today without Scully’s interference. Of course, it is a slippery slope because Jobs hired him originally… but still, perhaps the iPhone would have come a few years earlier. Or the iMac or iPod… Either way, it worked well as it did.
Sure Jobs has made some mistakes – but I would say they are mainly due to his vision extending too far in front… Not for anything less.
In my mind, if Jobs does not want to speak with Scully, Scully must have said some really nasty things to him, which Jobs cannot forgive.
“Thanks a lot, Gilligan!”
“Thanks a lot, Gilligan!”
Steve516:
Copy that.
Steve516:
Copy that.
MDN conveniently forgets that Steve Jobs hired Scully!!!
MDN conveniently forgets that Steve Jobs hired Scully!!!
If Steve Jobs hadn’t left Apple, he wouldn’t have founded NeXT, which is the computer used by Tim Berners Less to create the world wide web protocols (at least partially because the NeXT-Step OS encouraged protocol-type development).
Maybe the web would have been delayed by years. Maybe it would have been very different. Who knows?
If Steve Jobs hadn’t left Apple, he wouldn’t have founded NeXT, which is the computer used by Tim Berners Less to create the world wide web protocols (at least partially because the NeXT-Step OS encouraged protocol-type development).
Maybe the web would have been delayed by years. Maybe it would have been very different. Who knows?
Did Sculley screw up big time? No doubt. But he gets my respect for fessing up to what he did wrong. How many times did we hear W. even HINT he might have made even the slightest error? Never.
For someone in the clique of CEOs to say something this candid speaks highly of Mr. Sculley. Plus, I believe Apple had to travel the road they’ve traveled to be where they are today.
Did Sculley screw up big time? No doubt. But he gets my respect for fessing up to what he did wrong. How many times did we hear W. even HINT he might have made even the slightest error? Never.
For someone in the clique of CEOs to say something this candid speaks highly of Mr. Sculley. Plus, I believe Apple had to travel the road they’ve traveled to be where they are today.
Who hired him?
It takes a big man to admit failure on such a scale.
Although, I think that Steve Jobs would NOT be today’s Steve Jobs had he NOT been kicked out of Apple, started NeXT, bought out Pixar (or whatever his role there), etc., etc..
Steve Jobs own failures tempered and focused him. On some levels we should thank John Sculley for giving Jobs the kick in the ass he seemed to have needed.
Who hired him?
It takes a big man to admit failure on such a scale.
Although, I think that Steve Jobs would NOT be today’s Steve Jobs had he NOT been kicked out of Apple, started NeXT, bought out Pixar (or whatever his role there), etc., etc..
Steve Jobs own failures tempered and focused him. On some levels we should thank John Sculley for giving Jobs the kick in the ass he seemed to have needed.
“Do unto others” MDN…
“Do unto others” MDN…
@Mel Gross…
Agreed, Spindler is the one who drove Apple down the tubes with a complete lack of focus product-wise. Those were the days when Apple was selling everything, trying to compete with everyone. Trying to be a mini-Microsoft is some respects.
Anyway, it’s all turning out pretty well. Apple has started a Third Revolution. Third Reich some might say? Egad!
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@Mel Gross…
Agreed, Spindler is the one who drove Apple down the tubes with a complete lack of focus product-wise. Those were the days when Apple was selling everything, trying to compete with everyone. Trying to be a mini-Microsoft is some respects.
Anyway, it’s all turning out pretty well. Apple has started a Third Revolution. Third Reich some might say? Egad!
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Krioni, exactly…. Nobody knows…
For all those here screaming out load…
“It’s easy to comment or criticize history… it’s infinitely difficult daring to make or shape history”
Steve Jobs made and shaped history and for better or worse, Sculley dared to help shape that history. No matter what happened at that point in time, but this guy was there, he took it by the horns and tried it.
People fail only when they try to do what they have in their mind.
You don’t try, you’ll never fail and will never be remembered as well.
Krioni, exactly…. Nobody knows…
For all those here screaming out load…
“It’s easy to comment or criticize history… it’s infinitely difficult daring to make or shape history”
Steve Jobs made and shaped history and for better or worse, Sculley dared to help shape that history. No matter what happened at that point in time, but this guy was there, he took it by the horns and tried it.
People fail only when they try to do what they have in their mind.
You don’t try, you’ll never fail and will never be remembered as well.
David Rockefeller has left us with more systemic disasters than I can name. The world would be a better place without aristocracy-like Rockefellers and Murdochs-setting the rules of the game.
David Rockefeller has left us with more systemic disasters than I can name. The world would be a better place without aristocracy-like Rockefellers and Murdochs-setting the rules of the game.
Sculley was a short term disaster for Apple, but ironically, firing Jobs may have benefitted Apple so much more in the long term. I think Jobs really learned how to be a more valuable executive while in “exile”.
Of course neither Sculley or Jobs knew that at the time.
Sculley was a short term disaster for Apple, but ironically, firing Jobs may have benefitted Apple so much more in the long term. I think Jobs really learned how to be a more valuable executive while in “exile”.
Of course neither Sculley or Jobs knew that at the time.
Bill Gate’s daddy crafted the predatory contract designed to fleece the naive numb-Scullly. Jobs was, what, only 21 when he hired Sculley. Even geniuses make mistakes at that age.
Bill Gate’s daddy crafted the predatory contract designed to fleece the naive numb-Scullly. Jobs was, what, only 21 when he hired Sculley. Even geniuses make mistakes at that age.
Here’s Steve’s take on being fired. It from his 2005? Commencement speech at Stanford.
“I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods in my life. During the next five years I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the world’s first computer-animated feature film, “Toy Story,” and is now the most successful animation studio in the world.”
Here’s Steve’s take on being fired. It from his 2005? Commencement speech at Stanford.
“I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods in my life. During the next five years I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the world’s first computer-animated feature film, “Toy Story,” and is now the most successful animation studio in the world.”
“”Ex-Apple CEO John Sculley … says the company made a big mistake when it hired him as CEO”
Fascinating. I was just giving a lecture over at another MDN thread about Marketing-As-Management and how it eventually drives companies off a cliff. Thank you Mr. Sculley for once again recognizing this fundamental organizational behavior.
Head over to Is Microsoft’s Windows Phone ‘07 worthy of the two-year commitment? for my free class on the Entrepreneur Vs Marketing Cycle.
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“”Ex-Apple CEO John Sculley … says the company made a big mistake when it hired him as CEO”
Fascinating. I was just giving a lecture over at another MDN thread about Marketing-As-Management and how it eventually drives companies off a cliff. Thank you Mr. Sculley for once again recognizing this fundamental organizational behavior.
Head over to Is Microsoft’s Windows Phone ‘07 worthy of the two-year commitment? for my free class on the Entrepreneur Vs Marketing Cycle.
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Any chance that Billy Gates will admit to his early day sins? No I thought not, too busy buying his way back into heaven.
Any chance that Billy Gates will admit to his early day sins? No I thought not, too busy buying his way back into heaven.
How about returning the hundreds of millions he did not deserve.
How about returning the hundreds of millions he did not deserve.
@gross
The reference is to giving MS derivative rights to the OS with no expiration date on the contract. That was Sculley.
@gross
The reference is to giving MS derivative rights to the OS with no expiration date on the contract. That was Sculley.
@Steve516
Sculley, the “guest”, threw the host out of his own party, his own home. Which IMO, is unforgivable. He should have been the one to leave, since he was invited to the party.
@Mel Gross
Sculley signed an agreement with Microsoft to use Mac technology on 22 November 1985, fifty-nine days after Jobs submitted his letter of resignation.
@Arnold Ziffel
perhaps after twenty-five years have passed, and if he lives that long, we may hear W admit he screwed up.
@Steve516
Sculley, the “guest”, threw the host out of his own party, his own home. Which IMO, is unforgivable. He should have been the one to leave, since he was invited to the party.
@Mel Gross
Sculley signed an agreement with Microsoft to use Mac technology on 22 November 1985, fifty-nine days after Jobs submitted his letter of resignation.
@Arnold Ziffel
perhaps after twenty-five years have passed, and if he lives that long, we may hear W admit he screwed up.
None of you know how to read an article. You only see what you want to see.
“Apple’s big mistake was hiring me” mean’s Apple’s Board of Directors need to apologize.
I read only the extract so maybe I am wrong in my conclusion. But it’s not the sugar water guy that made the original mistake. The original sin goes back to David Rockerfeller and the board. Right?
None of you know how to read an article. You only see what you want to see.
“Apple’s big mistake was hiring me” mean’s Apple’s Board of Directors need to apologize.
I read only the extract so maybe I am wrong in my conclusion. But it’s not the sugar water guy that made the original mistake. The original sin goes back to David Rockerfeller and the board. Right?
Interesting to imagine where Apple could be if they hadn’t had their “dark ages”. It’s a nice, small-scale analogy to imagining where the world could be if we hadn’t had 800 years of technological and intellectual stagnation in the ‘real’ dark (“middle”) ages. Imagine if what we call the renaissance – when science and reason finally gained a foothold over religious insanity – would have happened 600-800 years earlier. Or even just 100! Take the advances of the last 50-100 years and ‘shift’ them back a couple hundred years and try to imagine where we would be today. Flying cars and jet packs could be as old and outdated as an IBM Selectric (sp?). And interplanetary travel could be like commuting to work. Or we could have destroyed ourselves hundreds of years ago. I’m just sayin’, it’s intriguing (and very frustrating) to think about what we could have accomplished by now if scientific advancement hadn’t been stalled for hundreds of years. Shakespeare could have been writing on an iPad. Sigh.
Interesting to imagine where Apple could be if they hadn’t had their “dark ages”. It’s a nice, small-scale analogy to imagining where the world could be if we hadn’t had 800 years of technological and intellectual stagnation in the ‘real’ dark (“middle”) ages. Imagine if what we call the renaissance – when science and reason finally gained a foothold over religious insanity – would have happened 600-800 years earlier. Or even just 100! Take the advances of the last 50-100 years and ‘shift’ them back a couple hundred years and try to imagine where we would be today. Flying cars and jet packs could be as old and outdated as an IBM Selectric (sp?). And interplanetary travel could be like commuting to work. Or we could have destroyed ourselves hundreds of years ago. I’m just sayin’, it’s intriguing (and very frustrating) to think about what we could have accomplished by now if scientific advancement hadn’t been stalled for hundreds of years. Shakespeare could have been writing on an iPad. Sigh.
Scully would’ve done better staying with Pepsi. He was being groomed to be the CEO of PepsiCo (which owned Pepsi along with many other big brands), and was either married to, or engaged to the daughter of the then-current CEO of PepsiCo.
He was a rising star. And to give Scully credit, he was a driving force behind Pepsi’s rise from an also-ran to a top brand in the Cola wars. That’s why Jobs noticed him.
I think, in the end, Scully staying at Pepsi (and moving on to run PepsiCo) wouldn’t have hurt the food industry, and definitely would’ve helped the personal computer industry./
Scully would’ve done better staying with Pepsi. He was being groomed to be the CEO of PepsiCo (which owned Pepsi along with many other big brands), and was either married to, or engaged to the daughter of the then-current CEO of PepsiCo.
He was a rising star. And to give Scully credit, he was a driving force behind Pepsi’s rise from an also-ran to a top brand in the Cola wars. That’s why Jobs noticed him.
I think, in the end, Scully staying at Pepsi (and moving on to run PepsiCo) wouldn’t have hurt the food industry, and definitely would’ve helped the personal computer industry./
@maclouie
The fact is, this mistake was the result of bad judgement and there’s a lot of blame to go around.
Could’ a, should’ a, would’ a…
In six-days we’ll all be psyched over the realm of possibilities for Macintosh and what’s in store for the company’s flag-ship product.
It’s easy to see where Jobs’ attention is focused now. As was stated in the article, Jobs can only deal with a hundred people at any one time, so until he saw the successful launch of Apple’s newest platform, he could only give his entire attention to one great thing at a time.
Now that iPad is underway, it’s time to elevate Mac computing to loftier levels. Namely, using synergy. The Macintosh will once again become the center of Apple’s existence and for me, the iPad is its remote control, that doubles as a handheld computer ideally suited for dealing with subsets of data from the Macintosh.
The iPad and Macintosh show plenty of promise working together to extend the desktop metaphor. The Macintosh needs every ounce of energy to produce our most demanding work, something the iPad couldn’t possibly do, like 3D, video editing, and large database manipulations, for example.
However, if the Macintosh’s work was broken out, into smaller data subsets, I see no reason a device like the iPad couldn’t share the workload. For example, a search query of a massive database could yield a workload easily managed by the iPad. Or perhaps, the iPad could be used to edit rough drafts of a larger video project, through the use of proxies and placeholders.
For me personally, I wish Maya, even ZBrush could offload select regions of a 3D project to my iPad for further editing. The fact is, many of my Maya models yield file sizes in the 75-800KB range because they are just ASCII (text) files.
But, as with most large projects, we tend to break them up into smaller chunks, or subsets, and work them individually, something a device like the iPad would be well suited for. Saving various stages of work isn’t done on the iPad, it’s sent directly back to my Mac, updating the original.
Anyway…
I expect to hear great things about the newest addition to Apple’s ecosystem; the data center and how it will become the hub of the Apple universe and by extension, increasing the productivity of my Mac and I.
On my wishlist, is to someday upload work too big for my Mac to handle, to Apple’s servers, during idle periods, to render my videos and 3D animations, producing them in the proper format.
I can dream, can’t I?
@maclouie
The fact is, this mistake was the result of bad judgement and there’s a lot of blame to go around.
Could’ a, should’ a, would’ a…
In six-days we’ll all be psyched over the realm of possibilities for Macintosh and what’s in store for the company’s flag-ship product.
It’s easy to see where Jobs’ attention is focused now. As was stated in the article, Jobs can only deal with a hundred people at any one time, so until he saw the successful launch of Apple’s newest platform, he could only give his entire attention to one great thing at a time.
Now that iPad is underway, it’s time to elevate Mac computing to loftier levels. Namely, using synergy. The Macintosh will once again become the center of Apple’s existence and for me, the iPad is its remote control, that doubles as a handheld computer ideally suited for dealing with subsets of data from the Macintosh.
The iPad and Macintosh show plenty of promise working together to extend the desktop metaphor. The Macintosh needs every ounce of energy to produce our most demanding work, something the iPad couldn’t possibly do, like 3D, video editing, and large database manipulations, for example.
However, if the Macintosh’s work was broken out, into smaller data subsets, I see no reason a device like the iPad couldn’t share the workload. For example, a search query of a massive database could yield a workload easily managed by the iPad. Or perhaps, the iPad could be used to edit rough drafts of a larger video project, through the use of proxies and placeholders.
For me personally, I wish Maya, even ZBrush could offload select regions of a 3D project to my iPad for further editing. The fact is, many of my Maya models yield file sizes in the 75-800KB range because they are just ASCII (text) files.
But, as with most large projects, we tend to break them up into smaller chunks, or subsets, and work them individually, something a device like the iPad would be well suited for. Saving various stages of work isn’t done on the iPad, it’s sent directly back to my Mac, updating the original.
Anyway…
I expect to hear great things about the newest addition to Apple’s ecosystem; the data center and how it will become the hub of the Apple universe and by extension, increasing the productivity of my Mac and I.
On my wishlist, is to someday upload work too big for my Mac to handle, to Apple’s servers, during idle periods, to render my videos and 3D animations, producing them in the proper format.
I can dream, can’t I?
Just tells us that any prediction about the future is pure crapshoot
Just tells us that any prediction about the future is pure crapshoot
Looking back is always 20/20 vision and better when one listens to Santayana’s words
Looking back is always 20/20 vision and better when one listens to Santayana’s words
Well, it was Steve Jobs who hired Sculley with that famous pitch: “Do you want a chance to change the world or sell sugared water for the rest of your life?”
None of it matters now. All turned out well and I like to think that things happen for a reason. Jobs needed that time out in the wilderness to hone his skills and deal with adversity. It seems he was an out-of-control brat when he was at Apple before he got fired.
Sculley just wasn’t a tech guy. I thought it was ridiculous when he gave himself the title of CTO. He was clearly losing it by the early-90’s. The Newton fiasco was the nail in the coffin.
Well, it was Steve Jobs who hired Sculley with that famous pitch: “Do you want a chance to change the world or sell sugared water for the rest of your life?”
None of it matters now. All turned out well and I like to think that things happen for a reason. Jobs needed that time out in the wilderness to hone his skills and deal with adversity. It seems he was an out-of-control brat when he was at Apple before he got fired.
Sculley just wasn’t a tech guy. I thought it was ridiculous when he gave himself the title of CTO. He was clearly losing it by the early-90’s. The Newton fiasco was the nail in the coffin.
dunno, sounds similar to Robert Strange McNamara’s apology about Vietnam…fortunately, Sculley’s “oops” didn’t cost 55,000 American servicemen’s lives. Fsck Sculley and fsck McNamara, they both knew exactly what they were doing.
dunno, sounds similar to Robert Strange McNamara’s apology about Vietnam…fortunately, Sculley’s “oops” didn’t cost 55,000 American servicemen’s lives. Fsck Sculley and fsck McNamara, they both knew exactly what they were doing.
Didn’t Sculley greelight Newton? Some credit due, I believe.
Didn’t Sculley greelight Newton? Some credit due, I believe.
Hey Sculley, better late than never.
Hey Sculley, better late than never.
Newton and the Knowledge Navigator concept gave a lot of young programmers direction.
Newton and the Knowledge Navigator concept gave a lot of young programmers direction.
Still, in reality, Microsoft would be better off with Sculley than with Ballmer.
Still, in reality, Microsoft would be better off with Sculley than with Ballmer.
I don’t know… without Apple’s near-death experience (for which Sculley is largely responsible) and the experience Steve Jobs gained while being away from Apple, there would not have been “Apple 2.0.” Apple is now close to being the largest cap company in the world; how could things have turned out any better than they have?
So, in hindsight, hiring Sculley may have been one of Apple’s BEST moves.
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I don’t know… without Apple’s near-death experience (for which Sculley is largely responsible) and the experience Steve Jobs gained while being away from Apple, there would not have been “Apple 2.0.” Apple is now close to being the largest cap company in the world; how could things have turned out any better than they have?
So, in hindsight, hiring Sculley may have been one of Apple’s BEST moves.
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MACDN is to easy on Johnny it was not a simple weak contract it was an old fashion payoff directly from Microsoft to Scully’s brother.
Follow Scully’s career the theif has been mixed up in a lot of shady dealings
MACDN is to easy on Johnny it was not a simple weak contract it was an old fashion payoff directly from Microsoft to Scully’s brother.
Follow Scully’s career the theif has been mixed up in a lot of shady dealings
Kiss ass Scully being frank and honest?
Oh.please. What’s his angle?
Kiss ass Scully being frank and honest?
Oh.please. What’s his angle?
G4Dualie sez: “perhaps after twenty-five years have passed, and if he lives that long, we may hear W admit he screwed up.”
John Sculley figured out his errors because he has a reasonable level of intelligence.
And W? “Nuculer”. Enough said.
G4Dualie sez: “perhaps after twenty-five years have passed, and if he lives that long, we may hear W admit he screwed up.”
John Sculley figured out his errors because he has a reasonable level of intelligence.
And W? “Nuculer”. Enough said.
Sculley would have been better off at Pepsi, but SJ seduced him and got him hired. The earlier SJ made a lot of mistakes.
But honestly, it couldn’t have gone any better.
Steve Jobs learned a lot AND created a completely next gen OS that we all use and love today. The NextOS could never have been successfully developed in the Apple when SJ was still there — it would have suffered the fate of the Pink project (which was far more advanced.)
Sculley’s Apple did a fantastic job of building the brand and made the company a LOT of money. He’s not SJ (as we know him today) but who is. The Newton took balls… the kind of failure one can be proud of.
Apple’s near death is what empowered SJ to make radical changes. It’s why MS can’t make these kind of changes–the old way is making them too much money.
Honestly as one who was around at the time, of all the bozos that have run Apple, Sculley was far from the worst.
Sculley would have been better off at Pepsi, but SJ seduced him and got him hired. The earlier SJ made a lot of mistakes.
But honestly, it couldn’t have gone any better.
Steve Jobs learned a lot AND created a completely next gen OS that we all use and love today. The NextOS could never have been successfully developed in the Apple when SJ was still there — it would have suffered the fate of the Pink project (which was far more advanced.)
Sculley’s Apple did a fantastic job of building the brand and made the company a LOT of money. He’s not SJ (as we know him today) but who is. The Newton took balls… the kind of failure one can be proud of.
Apple’s near death is what empowered SJ to make radical changes. It’s why MS can’t make these kind of changes–the old way is making them too much money.
Honestly as one who was around at the time, of all the bozos that have run Apple, Sculley was far from the worst.
Were missing the point here people
The discussion is not about some zen like
response to whether steve was well served by his exile
But rather
That
Sculley dropped the lawsuit between Microsoft and Apple over the
UI , this gave us windows 95 and the rest is history
Sculley took a pay off to drop that suit but first he needed to get rid of Jobs
Were missing the point here people
The discussion is not about some zen like
response to whether steve was well served by his exile
But rather
That
Sculley dropped the lawsuit between Microsoft and Apple over the
UI , this gave us windows 95 and the rest is history
Sculley took a pay off to drop that suit but first he needed to get rid of Jobs
If you will bother to read the interview (and actually add to what you already know) you would find out that it was Apple’s board of directors that decided that Steve was too young to be CEO. It was the board that made the decision to recruit from outside the tech sector. It was the board that settled on Sculley as the best candidate. It was the board that demanded and created an unsustainable division of duties and responsibilities, which ultimately led to Steve leaving the company.
Jobs may have sealed Sculley’s recruitment with his sugar water speech, but he was acting on the recommendation of a board that had decided that he should not be CEO.
If you will bother to read the interview (and actually add to what you already know) you would find out that it was Apple’s board of directors that decided that Steve was too young to be CEO. It was the board that made the decision to recruit from outside the tech sector. It was the board that settled on Sculley as the best candidate. It was the board that demanded and created an unsustainable division of duties and responsibilities, which ultimately led to Steve leaving the company.
Jobs may have sealed Sculley’s recruitment with his sugar water speech, but he was acting on the recommendation of a board that had decided that he should not be CEO.
You only have to look at what Jobs was doing with Next to understand what would have happened at Apple had he stayed and been given creative freedom. In other words, Apple would have been light years ahead of any rival and had the near-equivalent of OS X way back in the early 90s.
You only have to look at what Jobs was doing with Next to understand what would have happened at Apple had he stayed and been given creative freedom. In other words, Apple would have been light years ahead of any rival and had the near-equivalent of OS X way back in the early 90s.
@20 benson
Wrong, as usual.
Steve Jobs was practically the only one left at NeXT, when Apple came to his rescue. All of his closest friends resigned, including everyone who helped him co-founded NeXT.
Jobs laid off 280 employees and Ross Perot withdrew his financial support, saying it was the biggest mistake of his life.
Steve was desperate when he received a call from Markula who whispered into his ear that Apple was shopping around for a new OS.
That’s what Steve was doing with his time; alienating everyone around him and wasting gobs of money.
So how do you figure lightyears ahead?
Jobs ran out of money and could no longer afford to build the hardware and was concentrating exclusively on NeXTStep 3.0.
@20 benson
Wrong, as usual.
Steve Jobs was practically the only one left at NeXT, when Apple came to his rescue. All of his closest friends resigned, including everyone who helped him co-founded NeXT.
Jobs laid off 280 employees and Ross Perot withdrew his financial support, saying it was the biggest mistake of his life.
Steve was desperate when he received a call from Markula who whispered into his ear that Apple was shopping around for a new OS.
That’s what Steve was doing with his time; alienating everyone around him and wasting gobs of money.
So how do you figure lightyears ahead?
Jobs ran out of money and could no longer afford to build the hardware and was concentrating exclusively on NeXTStep 3.0.
Former Apple CEO John Sculley, famous for helping force Steve Jobs from the company he co-founded in 1985, admitted in an interview that his hiring as CEO was a “big mistake” and that Jobs should have been given the job instead.
stimelex
Former Apple CEO John Sculley, famous for helping force Steve Jobs from the company he co-founded in 1985, admitted in an interview that his hiring as CEO was a “big mistake” and that Jobs should have been given the job instead.
stimelex
Biggest blunder the Apple board ever made. Second biggest blunder was replacing Sculley with Michael Spindler.
stimelex
Biggest blunder the Apple board ever made. Second biggest blunder was replacing Sculley with Michael Spindler.
stimelex
Steve Jobs hired Sculley so isn’t that the big mistake if indeed Sculley is as bad as MDN reports? How much credibility does MDN really have? In my opinion, none, they’re a joke. I use them because of the handy widget.
Didn’t Bill Gates warn Apple that their contracts were weak and only then took advantage of them? Not that I like MSFT but come on people. Face facts. For that period of time, the true pirate was Bill Gates. He won the battle / war of being the better business man. The people at Apple made that possible. Lesson learned.
But just look what came of it. In large part, people use MSFT today because they have to. They use Apple products and software because they want to.
Steve Jobs hired Sculley so isn’t that the big mistake if indeed Sculley is as bad as MDN reports? How much credibility does MDN really have? In my opinion, none, they’re a joke. I use them because of the handy widget.
Didn’t Bill Gates warn Apple that their contracts were weak and only then took advantage of them? Not that I like MSFT but come on people. Face facts. For that period of time, the true pirate was Bill Gates. He won the battle / war of being the better business man. The people at Apple made that possible. Lesson learned.
But just look what came of it. In large part, people use MSFT today because they have to. They use Apple products and software because they want to.