与艾维·特瓦尼安的邮件往来

图片描述

A photograph from a reel shows Steve in portrait. Only the left side of his face is visible; the rest is in deep shadow. 一张胶片照片，是史蒂夫的肖像。只有左半边脸可见，其余部分深陷在阴影中。

核心概念

  1. 值得拯救 (Worth saving) - 有东西值得拯救
  2. 苹果文化癌症 (Cancer culture) - 苹果文化的"癌症"复发
  3. 化疗治疗 (Chemo treatment) - 新的化疗治疗
  4. 鲨鱼闻血 (Sharks smelled blood) - 鲨鱼闻血辞职潮
  5. 出售公司 (Selling the company) - 考虑出售公司
  6. Windows的唯一替代 (Only alternative to Windows) - 苹果是Windows的唯一替代
  7. 挑战我 (Challenge me) - 请继续挑战我

内容

中文翻译

艾维·特瓦尼安致史蒂夫

史蒂夫，

过去几周相当有趣。随着这个内核问题失控，我清楚我们几个月前让"癌症"进入缓解期（至少在软件工程中）的苹果，现在又猛烈复发了。我现在正在应用一种新的化疗治疗，试图让它回到缓解期——我认为会成功的——但我们肯定会有另一波辞职潮，来自闻到水中血迹的鲨鱼。一堆人会克服它，但很多人不会。

结果是，我们听说过的真正糟糕的苹果文化仍然潜伏在那里。我确信过去管理的一个主要问题是他们无法处理它。虽然我是一个意志坚强的人，几乎可以生存任何东西（嘿，你亲眼见过），但我必须承认这些家伙正在消磨我。没有对苹果的情感联系（我当然没有），每天来工作变得越来越困难。虽然我肯定可以这次治疗病人，但我想知道癌症多久会再次从缓解期出来。收入下降、亏损季度和持续重组的背景没有帮助。

在内核问题和操作系统路线图的情况下，我知道我们做出的决定是正确的决定。每一天，随着我和越来越多的人讨论它，我更加相信。事实上，我发现这些人中的一些人为了推动他们的议程可以多么狡猾——包括严重混淆事实。虽然这可能只有几个人的来源，但他们能够快速在整个只是寻找地方立足的人群中传播"邪恶思想"。

这一切结合对休假计划的反应——在工程部受到非常差的接待（我听说过"请病假"的威胁），这让我觉得这个公司不值得拯救。至少不是为了员工的利益。是的，我为顾客感到难过。是的，股东应得公平价值。是的，我担心我们拖进来的前NeXT人。但对我来说，员工是否值得"赢"并不清楚。当然，这是一个过度概括，这里有一些非常好的人，但你明白我的意思。

这真的让我觉得也许现在是认真考虑出售公司的时候了。不清楚我们是否还会再次拥有我们现在拥有的正面光环——至少暂时。

不管怎样，我们应该找个时间面对面、一对一地讨论所有这些——不是电话里。不紧急——我是个幸存者——但当我们都有时间的时候。

艾维

史蒂夫致艾维

艾维，

你知道，我最近有同样的感觉——苹果员工不值得被拯救。他们认为自己工作如此努力——嘿，我没看到。他们也认为他们对苹果的混乱没有任何责任。

我不知道他们认为谁工程化和出货了如此糟糕的产品，谁创造和授权了如此糟糕的营销，谁导致了支持如此糟糕等等……他们只是不想分享任何对公司当前状况的责任……

但是，那里有值得拯救的好东西。我不太知道如何表达，但它与苹果是Windows的唯一替代品有关，而且苹果仍然可以向方程式注入一些新思维。

我们找个时间散步谈谈这个，

史蒂夫

艾维致史蒂夫

我们真的需要聚在一起讨论这个以及与"产品战略"和公司整体管理相关的其他问题。我担心拼图的许多部分，结果完全没有动力去做扭转这家公司需要做的事。十年来第一次，当你不同意时我甚至不想挑战你的想法——这让我害怕，因为我相信作为"团队"我们最好在我们互相挑战并因此变得更好时工作。

我今晚会再想想这个（我已经觉得精疲力竭了，而今晚才周一——甚至周末都不足以充电这些天）。我明天日程很紧（除了晚些时候），但周三有很多空闲时间。让我知道你什么时候有空。

艾维

史蒂夫致艾维

请继续挑战我。这是我们到达正确决定的方式，我也享受它。

史蒂夫

英文原文

Email Exchange with Avie Tevanian, Make Something Wonderful

Email Exchange with Avie Tevanian

"There is something good here worth saving."

Avie Tevanian ran software engineering at NeXT and assumed the same role at Apple when it acquired NeXT. He told Steve that the Apple culture at the time of the acquisition was so bad that perhaps the best move might be to sell the company.

Avadis Tevanian To: Steve Jobs Subject: Apple engineers Date: August 14, 1997, 9:31 p.m.

Steve,

The last couple of weeks have been quite interesting. With this kernel issue spinning out of control it is clear to me that the "cancer" within Apple, which we had put into remission (at least in SW engineering) a few months ago, came back with a vengeance. I am now applying a new chemo treatment in an attempt to put it back into remission—and I think it will be successful—but we will definitely have another wave of resignations from the sharks that smelled the blood in the water. A bunch of people will get over it, but many will not.

The net is the really bad Apple culture we've heard about still lurks out there. And I am convinced that a major problem with past management was their inability to deal with it. While I am a strong-willed person who can survive almost anything (hey, you've seen it first hand), I must admit these guys are wearing me down. Without any emotional tie to Apple (I, of course, have none) it gets increasing difficult to come to work each day. And while I can certainly treat the patient this time I wonder how long it will be before the cancer comes out of remission again. The context of a continuation of revenue decrease, losing quarters and ongoing restructuring does not help.

In the case of the kernel issue & OS roadmap I know the decisions we've made are the right decisions. And each day, as I discuss it with more and more people, I believe it even more. In fact, I've discovered just how conniving some of these folks can be just to push their agenda—including pretty severe obfuscation of facts. While the source of this is probably only a few people, they are able to quickly spread "evil thoughts" throughout the population that is just looking for a place to make a stand.

Combine this all with the reaction to the sabbatical program—which has been very poorly received in engineering (I've heard threats of a "sick-out"), and it makes me think this company isn't worth saving. At least not for the sake of the employees. Yes, I feel for the customers. Yes, the shareholders deserve fair value. And yes, I worry about the ex-NeXTers we dragged into this. But it is not at all clear to me that the employees deserve to "win." This, of course, is an overgeneralization, and there are some very good folks here, but you get the gist of this.

It really makes me think that maybe now is the time to seriously consider selling the company. It's not clear we'll ever again have the positive aura that we have now—at least temporarily.

Anyway, we should get together and discuss all this sometime—face to face, 1-1—not on the phone. Not urgent—I'm a survivor—but when we both have some time.

Avie

---

Steve Jobs To: Avadis Tevanian Subject: Apple engineers Date: August 14, 1997, 10:02 p.m.

Avie,

You know, I have had the same feeling lately—that Apple employees don't deserve to be saved. They think they work so hard—heck, I don't see it. They also think they have no responsibility for any of the mess that Apple's in.

I don't know who they think engineered and shipped such bad products, who created and authorized such bad marketing, who caused the support to be so bad, etc… They just don't want to share any responsibility for the current state of the company…

But, there is something good here worth saving. I don't quite know how to express it, but it has to do with the fact that Apple is the ONLY alternative to Windows and that Apple can still inject some new thinking into the equation.

Let's go for a walk and talk about this sometime soon,

Steve

---

Avadis Tevanian To: Steve Jobs Subject: Re: Apple engineers Date: August 25, 1997, 10:05 p.m.

We really need to get together to discuss this and other issues related to the "product strategy" and overall management of the company. I am worried about a number of the pieces of the puzzle and as a result am completely unmotivated to do what it takes to turn this company around. And for the first time in 10 years I don't even feel like challenging your ideas when I disagree—which scares me because I believe as a "team" we work best when we challenge each other and come out all-the-better for it.

I am going to sleep on this some more tonight (I feel fried already and it's only Monday evening—even the weekends aren't sufficient to recharge these days). I have a pretty hectic schedule tomorrow (except for late in the day) but have lots of available time on Wednesday. Let me know when you're available.

Avie

---

Steve Jobs To: Avadis Tevanian Subject: Re: Apple engineers Date: August 25, 1997, 10:26 p.m.

Please continue to challenge me. It's the way we get to the right decisions, and I enjoy it too.

Steve

思考与洞察

引用此页面的内容
目录
鲨鱼闻血
苹果文化癌症
艾维·特瓦尼安
挑战我
化疗治疗
出售公司
值得拯救
Windows的唯一替代