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I speculate some reasons are: 1. Being able to reveal something new and surprising leads to a flurry of good press. Failing that, constant rumors about what t
by AgentOrange1234 6y ago
I speculate some reasons are:
1. Being able to reveal something new and surprising leads to a flurry of good press. Failing that, constant rumors about what they are working on is like free advertising.
2. Keeping something a secret until it is shipping gives competitors less time to react/plan.
3. Preventing your employees from publicly discussing what they are doing may make it harder to know whom to poach, and harder for folks who want to leave to sell themselves.
4. It is useful as a cultural tool: it brings employees together in sharing a secret, creating an in-group/out-group dynamic; it gives product launches a kind of mystery, makes them something special for employees to watch together and celebrate together.
5. It helps Apple keep control of the framing of a product and the narrative around its launch.
- tdeck 6y agoSo they're making it hard to leave, creating a distinctive in-group and air of mystery, and clamping down on information to maintain strict control of the narrative. I can't help but notice that some of these are the same reasons why cults are often so secretive.
- AgentOrange1234 6y agoSure. I think there are some pretty deep parallels. The company had been really successful. That makes it easy to trust the leadership and believe they know best. If you’re changing the world and doing the best work of your life, maybe that’s worth making sacrifices for (overtime or whatever). On the bright side, I’m not sure there’s any equivalent of the malevolent, sexually abusive stuff we see in cults. Hard to complain about being a well-paid engineer with good benefits, etc.