It should come as no surprise to most Apple watchers that Steve Jobs is a tough boss who expects the best. But what happens when you disappoint the Apple chief? Take cover, according to a new profile from Fortune.
In a brief excerpt, the magazine describes the 2008 roll-out of the MobileMe email client and Jobs's reaction when it fell flat.
"Can anyone tell me what MobileMe is supposed to do?" Jobs asked the MobileMe team after gathering them in an Apple auditorium. After someone provided the correct answer, Jobs reportedly said, "So why the f**k doesn't it do that?"
Jobs then told the team that they should "hate each other for having let each other down," Fortune's Adam Lashinsky reports. Jobs pointed to a bad review from the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg as an example of the fallout and promptly named a new executive to run the team.
Fortune said the MobileMe incident provides "a rare glimpse at how Apple really operates." While Apple is an innovative and exciting place to work, "Apple also is a brutal and unforgiving place, where accountability is strictly enforced, decisions are swift, and communication is articulated clearly from the top," Lashinsky writes.
Rumors about a revamped MobileMe have been circulating for months. Most recently, Apple ended two long-offered rebates for MobileMe and iWorks, fueling speculation that it will launch revamped versions of both software suites. Announcements could be made at Apple's June Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), which will have a particular focus on the future of iOS and Mac OS X.
On Monday, meanwhile, BrandZ named Apple the most valuable global brand, followed by Google.
The full profile is available in the May 23 print edition of Fortune, as well as on its iPad app.