When you’re a company the size of Apple and under the scrutiny that Apple is, keeping secrets is hard.
That’s what Tim Cook told investors during Tuesday’s annual investors meeting, during which he described how, “keeping stuff confidential is the bane of my existence.” In other words, with the exception of the visitor’s center, you shouldn’t expect a tour of Apple Park any time soon!
Last question: When can I get a tour of Apple Park? Tim Cook: “The reason we created the visitor’s center … the problem with opening up the main facility for tours is we have so much confidential stuff around and keeping stuff confidential is the bane of my existence now”
— kif (@kifleswing) February 13, 2018
Answering a question about when visitors might get a tour of Apple Park, Cook said that, “The reason we created the visitor’s center [and] the problem with opening up the main facility for tours is we have so much confidential stuff around and keeping stuff confidential is the bane of my existence now.”
Compared to his predecessor Steve Jobs, Cook’s Apple has been arguably slightly less obsessed with secrecy. Jobs took a company that was hemorrhaging money and leaking tons of information, and transformed it into a tight ship with an obsession on keeping its work secret in order to gain a competitive edge.
Cook’s Apple, on the other hand, is a tech giant — the largest company in the world — with enormous advantages over its rivals in terms of what it is able to pull off. Nonetheless, with more Apple watchers than ever, and dozens of companies in its supply chain, employing thousands of people, it’s easy to imagine what a headache Cook has when it comes to keeping Apple’s plans secret.
Especially at a time when the company’s R&D spend suggests there are some exciting top secret projects in the works.
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
4 responses to “Tim Cook says keeping Apple’s secrets are ‘the bane my existence’”
Isn’t about time Apple relaxed their grip on secrecy a little. There are a number of companies that are going to copy their products regardless, and there are benefits for the customer in terms of being able to plan purchases in advance if we were more aware of the actual pipeline, rather than the rumours of one.
Slow news day?
There’s not a single Apple product made today that I care to purchase. Even the free ones, like macOS. Tim, I think you’re good. Apple has no secrets that excite me any longer. But, please, prove me wrong.
Pipeline its amazing