Steve Jobs and the Economics of Elitism
1st February 2010
Odd to see the New York Times talking about elitism.
Apple represents the “auteur model of innovation,” observes John Kao, a consultant to corporations and governments on innovation. In the auteur model, he said, there is a tight connection between the personality of the project leader and what is created. Movies created by powerful directors, he says, are clear examples, from Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” to James Cameron’s “Avatar.”
Rather like Obama in politics — except that Jobs can actually do it, and Obama actually can’t.