So like... A company bragging about itself in a way to make employees work more without asking to get paid for it? Can't say I've seen anything like that before. How original this makes Apple!<p>Back to real life: every company claims to be best, unique or something like that. Some hollow, BS claim to motivate their employees. But just because they print it on a poster doesn't make it any more real.<p>Apple is heartless corporation like all others. This can easily be seen in their profit-margins: They care about money more than anything else.<p>I don't see why Apple fanboys feels the need to make Apple anything more, you know, like a <i>special</i> corporation, which <i>cares</i> about them, personally. If you think that sounds obnoxious or facetious, I've seen people here on HN make those exact claims.<p>Anyway: It's a corporation. Making money. Often in ethically shady ways. Nothing more, nothing less. Like every other corporation.
>>There's work and there's your life's work.<p>Sure there is, that is why we choose to do it for a price that makes our life rewarding and deserving of such work. Talking of work and no rewards and compensation is not very impressive these days.<p>>>The kind of work that has your fingerprints all over it.<p>Yes that is why commits to source code repos exists. So that users who make them are traceable. Nearly every Open source repository has a AUTHORS/CREDITS files these days.<p>>>The kind of work that you'd never compromise on. That you'd sacrifice a weekend for.<p>I would only sacrifice my time for some compensation in return.<p>>>You can do that kind of work at Apple. People don't come here to play it safe. They come here to swim in the deep end. They want their work to add upto something. Something big, something that couldn't happen else where.<p>They said the same thing to slaves who built the Pyramids, Taj Mahal and Colosseum of Rome. And they did build things far more majestic and time lasting than the iPhone, iPad, Mac or the iPod. I don't wish to die as a slave even if I'm building the Taj Mahal. Nobody cares, and its you who is having this horrible life sacrificing your time, energy and other things in life for somebody else.<p>This is hardly inspirational. This sort of inspiration evaporates in thin air after you receive your salary two months into your job.
Let me write my own version based on experience:<p>"There's work and then there's my life's work.<p>The kind of work that will make me millions. You'll work weekends while I'm at my 5000 sqft "green" house in Portola Valley or Tahoe on Friday through Monday. You will do that work here at Apple.<p>We don't want people to come here and play it safe. We want people to come here that want to drink the kool-aid. We want their work to add up to something for us. If it doesn't, prepare to be screamed at once a day or more.<p>I want your work to add up to something. Something big. Something that results in wealth for me.<p>Welcome to burnout. You'll only last 3 years and then I'll replace you with new kool-aid.
Somehow, I feel that the following short anecdote is appropriate here:<p>"There are ancient cathedrals which, apart from their consecrated purpose, inspire solemnity and awe. Even the curious visitor speaks of serious things, with hushed voice, and as each whisper reverberates through the vaulted nave, the returning echo seems to bear a message of mystery. The labor of generations of architects and artisans has been forgotten, the scaffolding erected for their toil has long since been removed, their mistakes have been erased, or have
become hidden by the dust of centuries. Seeing only the perfection of the completed whole, we are impressed as by some superhuman agency. But sometimes we enter such an edifice that is still partly under construction; then the sound of hammers, the reek of tobacco, the trivial jests bandied from workman to workman, enable us to realize that these great structures are but the result of giving to ordinary human effort a direction and purpose. Science has its cathedrals, built by the efforts of a few architects and of many workers."
-Gilbet Newton Lewis
nice, but how many of you are ready to sacrifice your life (weekends) for a company's profit.
- Curing cancer: yes
- Saving lives : yes
- Building an outlet for yet spending more money : no<p>As much a I love my work, I won't love it more than my wife, or my future children.
Honest question: is it <i>really</i> possible to do that sort of work as a cog inside a huge corporation?<p>I'm asking because I'm looking at very likely being gobbled up by such a large corporation ...
As someone who is currently working in an organization that doesn't offer me that sort of fulfillment, I'd love to be working for Apple and receiving that on day 1.<p>Not everyone is going to be an entrepreneur, fewer of us will be successful entrepreneurs. If we are going to work for someone else, it's nice to be able to do something we can be proud of. I imagine that working for Apple makes that possible.
Nice way to inspire new hires. Like it.<p>However, I worry about Apple lawyers tracking down the person who uploaded this and offer a cease and desist instead of new hire orientation!
Thoroughly depressed by the responses here - especially on a site that prides itself (or used to) on being more nuanced and intelligent than average. If you don't like the message then fine, it's a little saccharine for my taste, but it doesn't make Apple a 'soulless' company, it doesn't make Apple customers empty-headed morons suffering from "stockholm syndrome", and snarking at it does not elevate you above those people who do believe in the message. Quite the opposite.
Reading the comments, a question just struck me - honestly how many of the really competent people (the ones who make real difference in the world) think about what corporation they are willing to work for and on what grounds?<p>Brad Fitzpatrick (memcached fame) for instance mentions this in the Android performance related video - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=c4znvD-7VDA#t=67s" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v...</a> - believes in open source, doesn't want Android to fail due to responsiveness issues - that's his motivation.<p>What might be the motivations of great people lately working for Apple - they can make a great product anywhere, why with Apple?
Apple is a cult? I believe it.<p>Not that I'm complaining, as I type this on my MacBook Pro, with my iPhone beside it and my iPad 3 and iPod Nano in the backpack on the floor.<p>Cult or not, they make high quality products at high prices.<p>I've drunk the Kool-Aid just like many of you.
Let me tell you an unfortunate truth: Think of everyone you really respect. Really look up to. Every one of them are risk takers. At some point, they jumped in the deep end. Those who play it safe go nowhere. Apple knows that in order to lead, they need those kind of people. If that isn't you, fine. Go work for Sun. Or RIM. Or Nokia. Or Yahoo.
Ah, the smell of do-gooders in the morning.<p>One day you all will learn that there is no shortage of people who think they deserve the fruits of your labor, through no work of their own. They will not give you the option of supporting the needy voluntarily, through charity. They will seize your money, by force, by a willing government eager to buy their votes with the sweat of your hard work. Once you eek out a successful living where you actually pay real taxes, you will begin to grow frustrated with the lack of control that you will have with your own money. But even if you don't. Who the hell do you think you are to tell me that my money, which I work for, belongs to someone else? Its quite ironic and hypocritical to say that wanting to keep one's own money is greed, but wanting to take someone else's money by force is justice.
Meh, useless blabla from big corps. The real meaning: "devote your a<i></i> to the company, and maybe we'll consider sharing some of our extraordinary benefits".
I think a lot of the comments here show that there is a large number of people that are pissed off because they work for a company and feel devalued.<p>I can identify with this statement and Apple trying to reiterate their core values to new staff. Sure you may not hit the mark 100% of the time, but surely they would have trouble retaining staff if they are lying.<p>I also think that this whole "Profit Margin" bashing needs to stop. Yes they make large margins, no they don't profit share with most of their staff. It's the way almost every business works.
If you disagree then I encourage you to start your own company and give it a shot rather then shouting abuse from the sidelines.
Despite everyone's dislike of this, you have to think of this from the company's perspective. What's the cost of producing this? If they get even one sucker to buy into it, it'll have already paid for itself many times over.
Come to think of it, all this sounds pretty pyramid scheme-ish.<p>Recruit others to sacrifice weekends on vague promises of money and self-fulfillment. Wash them so they tell around how awesome it is to work in such manner and for such a great employer.<p>Iterate.
In my head, that letter was narrated by Richard Dreyfuss as I read it. It feels very much like their advertizing. My gut reaction would be to simultaneously be excited about the possibilities and worried over what I had gotten myself into, since i was clearly being sold to in such a manner. That's pretty much what I imagine working at Apple is like, though - potentially awesome, fun, exciting, and interesting work, stressful, difficult, and somewhat abusive company culture and demands. So, I guess maybe it's accurate.
That's the great thing about a free market. You are free to do whatever you want. If working at Apple is such a piss-poor experience, and you are certain that your talents are soooo valuable to the world, then don't work at Apple and take your amazing abilities elsewhere. Certainly their must be hundreds of companies just dyyyiiing to get their hands on your unmatched grey matter. So quit bitching and work somewhere else.
Since this message is directed to new hires, probably in a new-hire orientation, I don't see a problem. New hires know exactly what they're getting into with Apple, at this point. At least this message has more soul and honesty than "we're a people company". Also, isn't it saying you're not a cog here. If that's a flat out lie, then ok, but its a nice thought.
Seems like the kind of message you want to see on your first day or during a recruitment drive. I'm sure the ecstasy of the moment wears off after a while as the reality of a business/work environment settles in.
I don't see anything wrong with Apple doing this. I mean, you have to make new folks feel welcome and like they've made a good decision. Keep in mind though, Apple is a corporation and as one the only thing they care about is profits and the only people they care about is the executive committee. It's just like any other big corp.
Man, every post I'm reading is negative, it's just a motivational poster, I liked it. You only have on life, give it 100%. Whatever you are doing, do it like you only have one day left to do it with.<p>I'm disappointed that HN would blow out of proportion the one cloud on the beautiful day.