The Challenge of Apple

Apple is a great company, but can Apple be a great company without Steve Jobs?  Will we still get great products if Steve Jobs is no longer with Apple?

Using the terminology from the famous business book - "Built to Last", time telling is "having a great idea or being a charismatic visionary leader" and clock building is "building a company that can prosper far beyond the presence of any single leader and through multiple product life cycles."  It is certain that Jobs have proved that he can time tell; he can lead Apple into the right direction.  But can he build a clock so that others on the Apple ship could tell time when he leaves?  

Only time will tell.  But with Jobs on medical leave for these few months, Apple is still Apple-like.  Although Jobs is rumored to be still involved, I'm hopeful that Apple will preserve the values it has, and in the future when Steve Jobs is no longer there, Apple employees would ask, "What would Steve do?" when making decisions.