Every company faces the challenge of prioritizing their efforts and choosing which projects to focus on. However, this can be a difficult task, as it can be hard to know which projects will yield the most success. In recent years, Apple has faced this challenge and has had to make some tough decisions in order to move forward.
Apple suffered from lacklustre engineering management for several years, with many different projects being worked on, each one led by a skilled engineer but not necessarily leading to a synergistic whole. This lead to a farm of miscellaneous projects that didn't necessarily add up, and the total was less than the sum of the parts. This is a common problem when too many projects are being worked on at once, and Apple realized that they needed to make some decisions about the direction they were going in and what made sense and what didn't.
The hardest part of focusing is saying no. This can be difficult, as it can lead to negative reactions and backlash from those who are affected by the decision. However, it is important to remember that saying no is necessary in order to move forward and create a well-rounded product. Apple has faced its fair share of negative reactions and backlash recently, but has taken the lumps and moved forward with its decisions.
One project that Apple decided to put a bullet in the head of was Open Doc. This was a great technology, but it didn't fit in with the rest of the world and wasn't going to be used. Apple has since turned to other container strategies, such as the ones in the Java space, which have been found to be better. Even the Open Doc guys were trying to rewrite the whole thing in Java, so it wasn't worth the effort to continue with it.
Despite the negative reactions and backlash, Apple has stayed focused and has continued to make decisions that will lead to great products and a more productive future. With the right focus, the total will be much greater than the sum of the parts, and Apple is well on its way to creating something great.
