It’s a symptom of what insiders say are deeper organizational problems that have left the health group without clear direction and struggling to mesh Apple’s hardware-oriented culture with the practices of the medical business.
People at Apple Health said that they saw colleagues face retribution for disagreeing with superiors and that concerns have been expressed on more than one occasion about the way health data is used to develop products. The situation has gotten so serious that some employees have lodged complaints with Apple’s most senior executives, including Cook and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams, who oversees the health effort.
Success tends to hide problems.
Not surprising. I was just thinking the other day about how little progress we’ve seen with Apple’s health efforts despite a concerted move into this space with flashy hires and favorable press from industry and financial analysts. By now I thought we’d really see Apple Watch sporting more meaningful health functionality.
Aside from success hiding problems, I think it’s another example of tech company hubris in thinking that success in one industry qualifies you for success in another. Now, Apple certainly can afford several false starts and continued investment. But, sometimes these challenges are deeper rooted in culture conflicts.