John Chen Thinks He Can Save BlackBerry The Same Way Jobs Saved Apple

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iPhone users may be “wall huggers” according to BlackBerry CEO John Chen, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not taking a page or two out of the Apple playbook.

Describing his vision for BlackBerry in a recent interview with the New York Times, Chen compared his present situation to that of Steve Jobs returning to a beleaguered Apple in the late-1990s.

“I watched Steve Jobs on YouTube, when he came back to Apple,” Chen notes. “He got up and said, ‘I don’t have a new product, I’m insanely focused on my customer base.’ That’s me now.”

Of course, BlackBerry and Apple couldn’t be in more different positions here in 2014 (not least because Apple is more reliant on the success of the iPhone than ever, while Chen is moving away from his focus on consumer handsets).

But it’s once again interesting to note that — even among his business rivals — Jobs’ strategic approach for Apple business is still the go-to story when it comes to corporate turnarounds.

And with good reason, too.

Source: New York Times

Via: BerryReview

 

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