Steve Jobs will be forever remembered for the legacy he left behind at Apple. The story of Jobs and Apple is remarkable. In a nutshell: He started the company from nothing, resigned after it began to deviate from his vision, found success in other business ventures, and finally brought it back to prominence with his forward thinking and incredible perspective on technology.
In his second stint with Apple, his imprint not only saved the company, but it also changed the way the world views technology. This is why Apple will thrive in his absence.
Given his passing last week, the question arises: Where does Apple go from here? There is no replacement for an innovator like Jobs. He was a man who was able to invent products that the public didn’t know it needed until they had them in their hands. His influence in the industry and especially at Apple will remain.
Jobs will have left behind a very capable team of individuals who learned a great deal from the man himself. Tim Cook, the company’s longtime operations chief, is undoubtedly well-versed in the philosophy and vision of Apple. If the company remembers the foundation and groundwork Jobs set forth, then it will continue to thrive. Its products are greater than one man.
With no formal marketing training, Jobs was a masterful pitchman who was able to convey his passion to the public in grand fashion. The iPod was a device that revolutionized how we listen to music; and iTunes shortly after may have saved the industry from losing millions of dollars. These kinds of ideas are bigger than one person, and there are innovators within the company that understand the need to think forward.
Though it is difficult to imagine that anyone could continue to develop the business quite like Jobs, it stands to reason that the infrastructure of the company is strong and has many talented developers who understand the mindset of its founder. As all good things must come to an end, so too must the tenure of the founder’s attachment to what has turned into the most admirable company in the United States.
Consumers have been prepared for Jobs’ separation from Apple for quite some time as his health issues were well-documented. He had stepped down as CEO only months prior to his death. Cook did a capable job of filling in for Jobs in the public unveiling of the iPhone 4S was unveiled on October 4, 2011.
Moving forward, what consumers can expect from Apple is the continued development of products that change the way we do things. Cook, much like Jobs, is a perfectionist and someone very capable of leading the company forward into the future. He shares Jobs’ passion. More importantly, he shares his attentiveness and much of his creativity.
He didn’t advance at Apple without impressing Jobs, a man who demanded such perfection in all aspects of the business.
Other key players in positions of influence within the company include designer Jonathan Ives, marketing executive Phil Schiller, and mobile-software leader Scott Forstall. Cook is an introvert by nature, and most likely will want to delegate the public appearance responsibilities to one of these individuals. Of the three, Schiller has experience filling in for Jobs on prior product launches and stands to take the reigns as a potential public figurehead for Apple.
The company will never be the same, but it will move forward as many bright minds will assuredly be able to combine their talents with the philosophy of Apple to be trendsetters in every aspect. The interesting and perhaps most remarkable trait of Apple is that even the public understands the vision of the company through its marketing and creation of an entire subculture.
Expect continued success for a company that will settle for nothing but perfection from the ground up.
Michael C. Jones is a Yahoo! Featured Contributor in Technology and follows all developments across the technology industry. Follow Michael on Twitter: @MJisyourhomeboy.