Jobs and the auto industry? I don't think so.
- TAGS:Apple, auto, Car Czar, Steve Jobs
- IT TOPICS:Government & Regulation, Macintosh, Management
TechCrunch was its usual provocative self this weekend when it published a letter by venture capitalist Todd Dagres (Spark Capital) calling on President Obama to put Apple's Steve Jobs in charge of the auto industry.
The letter drew a lot of outrage. While I'm as big a fan as anyone in terms of what Jobs has done for the computer and consumer electronics industry, the auto industry and Steve would never work. Why? Here's three reasons.
1. Jobs is a perfectionist who likes to build closed, bundled systems. Unless you are ready to buy your gas from the Apple store and use Apple-only sized tires, don't get on the Steve for car czar bandwagon.
2. Apple builds great products, but low priced they aren't. Should people someday be able to get car loans again, you aren't going to get them to pay a big premium over Toyota or Honda simply because they will get to drive an Applemobile.
3. The automobile industry is an industry of compromises and government regulation. Compromise and sitting around a table negotiating a deal for the next year's car design is just not something Jobs would ever do.Â
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