The Industrial Age is over?

Maybe for us, but last I checked, we are still consuming products that require manufacturing. So it's still (or even just recently) the industrial age for the ones making our products.

I'll come back to this idea. I'm sure of it.

I’m not Steve Jobs

Full disclosure on the last post...or at least more disclosure. I’m not sure it’s all the disclosure possible. But anyway, what got me thinking about that line, “I’m not Tony Stark,” was the passing of Steve Jobs, and Tim Cook taking the helm.

Near the beginning of Iron Man, Tony Stark was given an award for his accomplishments, however he was not present to accept the award. Accepting on his behalf was Obadiah Stane, a man who’d worked for Stark Industries for most of his life. His first line, as he accepts the award, was, “I’m not Tony Stark.”

Now, in our scenario here, for “Apple Industries”, we could change the cast a bit. Steve Jobs could be Tony Stark or Tony Stark’s father. And maybe...Scott Forstall could be (or could have been) Tony Stark. And Tim Cook could be Obadiah Stane.

If you’ve seen Iron Man, you can probably see where I’m going with this, so perhaps there’s not much need to spell it out for you. But...well, I’ll just point out a few parallels.

Tony Stark’s father had created a great empire, but passed away when Tony was still a child. Obadiah Stane, a man who’d worked for Stark Industries most of his life, inherited the company. As this history is being revealed to us in the movie, we see a magazine cover with a picture of the world at the feet of an apprehensive Obadiah. The heading on the magazine read, “What’s Next?”

Indeed, even after Tony grew old enough to work for the company, Stark Industries had gone a long time with no new innovations after the passing of Stark’s father. Until one day, after a hit (on Tony) that was ordered by Obadiah, Tony came up with something new.

So, already you might be able to see the parallels with Apple. They’re not a perfect fit, but let’s try this.

Steve Jobs created a great empire, but passed away, before Scott Forstall was ready to step in. Tim Cook, a man who’s worked for Apple, not most of his life, but a good amount of time, inherited the company.  And everyone is wondering, “What’s Next?”

Indeed, Cook, a man who is nothing like Jobs or Forstall might lead us to wonder what new innovations the future has in store for us after the rest of Jobs’ products come out the pipeline.

Here is where the similarities diverge a bit. In Apple’s story, the “hit on Tony” succeeds, only it’s Forstall who gets hit. With Forstall gone, what chances does Apple have to carry the torch of Jobs...even if there is a team working on ideas?

Tim Cook, similar to Obadiah Stane, is muscling for rank...or a bigger share of the market using products that other people created. Further into the movie, Obadiah tells Tony that he was afraid after he’d ordered the hit on Tony, that he’d killed the goose that laid the golden eggs. Cook effectively has killed the goose in order to accomplish nothing but ensure his own power and establish policy through hierarchy instead of letting good ideas dictate, as Jobs did.

*Disclaimer - this post is only my opinion and is mostly speculative based on loose connections with a fictional movie based on a likewise fictional comic book.*

I’m not Tony Stark

William Ginter Riva: Mr. Stane. Sir, we've explored what you've asked us and it seems as though there's a little hiccup. Actually, um...

Obadiah Stane: A hiccup?

William Ginter Riva: Yes, see, to power the suit... sir, the technology doesn't actually exist. So it...

Obadiah Stane: Wait, wait, the technology? William... Here is the technology. I've asked you to simply make it smaller.

William Ginter Riva: All right, and that's what we're trying to do, but... honestly, it's impossible.

Obadiah Stane: Tony Stark was able to build this in a cave! With a box of scraps!

William Ginter Riva: Well, I'm sorry. I'm not Tony Stark.

That scene from Iron Man really stuck with me...as I’m sure it was intended to. We have this idea that anyone with a particular title should automatically be able to perform the duties prescribed by that title...simply because they have that title. But just because we have a need for someone to hold a title, doesn't mean that just anyone can do what’s expected.



See also: I'm not Steve Jobs.

Welcome to Season 8

About the title....

Well, before I get to the posts that were going to be on the last season,  I’ll go ahead and start with an introduction to this season. Originally, I was going to have a different title for this season but, I can’t remember what it was. I’d written it down on a sticky pad, and thought I’d made a file on my computer with the title, but, uh...lost the sticky pad page and I didn't put it on my computer.

I think I was going to call this season between wealth and poverty or something like that, and I think I was deciding between that one and another...which I can’t remember...but, uh, I think I like between thinking it and doing it better. Just came to me today (or yesterday, by the time I post this).

I think originally, I was going to make statements of our economic situation and an uncertain financial future...or perhaps more where I was going to fit within the parameters of wealthy and poor...but I think I’ve changed my mind a bit and will try to focus more on what I’m going to do to survive in the system I live in. (...Or is that the same thing? ...No, no. The attitude is different.)

Between wealth and poverty probably would still be a good title for this season...in fact, maybe between thinking it and doing it is too ambitious a title for this season since I’m planning on being in Korea another year so I probably won’t be “doing” anything that I’m thinking of until the next season. (Maybe I should call this season between hemming and hawing.)

Well, I’ll just stick with this one. As usual, the blog title will indicate a general theme that describes where I am in my life (and likely will be for the duration of the season...though not always and not necessarily), but the posts will be about whatever I’m thinking about on that particular day or (like journal entries) what I did that day or will be doing soon and will not necessarily seem related to the theme of the season. But if you've been following this blog, you already know that.

Anyway, welcome to Season 8. I’ll try to get those other posts up that were supposed to be on the last season sometime this week. Topics to come...more on cost, respect between mind and body and how it relates to respect between other authorities and subordinates, and...Tony Stark.