Doug Field's move to Ford closes a loop across three companies: after leaving Tesla in 2018, he returned to Apple to work on the car project, and now decamps from Cupertino to lead advanced technology and embedded systems at Ford.
The hire fits an established Ford pattern under Jim Hackett, who was elevated from the autonomous vehicle unit when he replaced Mark Fields as CEO, and it immediately forces a response at Apple, which days later named Watch chief Kevin Lynch to run the car effort.
First-order effects
Ford gains a single executive who has run engineering at both Tesla and Apple, concentrating EV and embedded-systems credibility in one role reporting into the top of the company.
Apple loses the engineering lead of its car project mid-stream, prompting the appointment of Kevin Lynch to take over the program within days.
Second-order effects
Legacy automakers are now bidding directly against Tesla and Apple for the same small pool of software-and-EV executives, pushing compensation and titles upward on all sides.
Ford's bet on imported Silicon Valley talent compounds over time — the same playbook later extended to services with the Peter Stern hire — while Tesla watches more alumni carry its playbook to Detroit competitors.
Third-order effects
If the pattern holds, vehicle engineering leadership migrates toward people formed at consumer-tech firms, restructuring automakers around embedded software rather than powertrain pedigree.
Talent circulation between Tesla, Apple, and Ford makes carmaking a shared labor market with Silicon Valley, eroding the boundary between auto industry and consumer-tech industry org charts.
The trend: As vehicles become software-defined products, executive talent is circulating between Tesla, Apple, and legacy automakers like Ford faster than any one company can lock it down.
.@crtrud reporting on @theterminal: Apple's Car Project chief Doug Field is leaving the company for Ford.
@markgurman
Mark Gurman on x
This is probably the largest setback in a history filled with setbacks for Apple's car project. As I wrote in January, there is no Apple Car launching anytime soon, not 2024, not 2025. Further out now, if ever. https://twitter.com/...
@markgurman
Mark Gurman on x
Doug Field is the FOURTH person in charge of Apple's car project to leave in its 6 year history. Absolutely wild and a rare public failure for Apple. https://www.bloomberg.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@munster_gene
Gene Munster on x
Headlines that Ford poached Doug Field from Apple miss the mark. I was expecting the departure, given in July Kevin Lynch moved over to the Apple Car team. Simply put, there were too many cooks in the kitchen, no pun intended.
@markgurman
Mark Gurman on x
Apple: “We're grateful for the contributions Doug has made to Apple and we wish him all the best in this next chapter.” https://twitter.com/...
@jyarow
Jay Yarow on x
Apple Car is cursed. https://www.cnbc.com/...
@thestalwart
Joe Weisenthal on x
Big scoop from @KeithNaughton and @crtrud. Ford has poached the head of Apple's car project. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@wholemarsblog
Whole Mars Catalog on x
“Why work on cars that won't be produced for years at Apple when you can work on cars that won't be produced for years at Ford?” https://twitter.com/...
@film_girl
Christina Warren on x
@mkarolian @markgurman I made this same argument a year ago with @gruber. I don't doubt Apple could build a beautiful car. I don't understand why it wants to be in that low-margin/high-intensity business. I never have.
@siracusa
John Siracusa on x
@film_girl ... Automakers are already starting to roll out (wait for it...) subscription services for their (often software-powered) features. That's right up Apple's alley. (And don't forget apps.)
@carnage4life
Dare Obasanjo on x
Apple's self driving car sounds like Microsoft-style strategy versus addressing an unmet need. Apple needs another expensive device purchase that creates loyalty, lock-in and recurring purchases to grow beyond iPhone. An Apple car fits the bill nicely. https://www.theverge.com/..…
@carnage4life
Dare Obasanjo on x
The question is what unique value is Apple going to bring to automobiles beyond what Tesla has done? Full self driving cars won't happen without a revolution in AI. Tesla has already set a fairly high bar for electric cars which automakers are now reaching. What's left for Apple?
@reckless
Nilay Patel on x
At this point Tim Cook should cop the full Taylor Swift playbook and start releasing coded song lyrics about all the car execs who've done him wrong https://www.theverge.com/...
@gruber
John Gruber on x
@film_girl ... Well, cell phones were considered “low margin” in 2007. So were portable music players in 2001.
@paulobrien
Paul O'Brien on x
Apple making a car makes no sense to me at all. I don't get the angle tbh. Rumoured to be built on E-GMP from Hyundai/Kia, what's the Apple secret sauce that makes it special? I don't see it happening, ever. https://twitter.com/...
@rjrcapital
@rjrcapital on x
And to all the morons commenting on this post about how nobody would want to leave $AAPL for $F, spend 30 seconds on LinkedIn. Doug Field started his career at Ford. https://twitter.com/...
@film_girl
Christina Warren on x
@gruber ... Sure. But a car is never going to be a high margin item that people buy year after year. Especially since the goal, as a global society is to reduce cars, not hope people replace them every two years.
@benedictevans
Benedict Evans on x
The iPhone was not a Nokia with a nicer case, nor a Blackberry done better. It was a completely new concept. What would an Apple car do that wasn't just a Tesla with a better interior?
@brain_trader
@brain_trader on x
For any company to be a major contender in the global EV market of the future, they need an EV truck (one people will actually buy - like the F150). Could $LCID be the glue of a major $AAPL + $F partnership? https://twitter.com/...
@munster_gene
Gene Munster on x
Add Ford to the list of future Apple competitors.
@apollozac
Zac Hall on x
olivia rodrigo is new apple car lead, apple cites success with drivers license as reason it will work this time https://twitter.com/...
@benedictevans
Benedict Evans on x
I sometimes wonder if Apple has yet worked out what, exactly, it would do in cars. Making a ‘better Tesla’ seems easy but unambitious. Yet full autonomy (even if possible) isn't an Apple sweet spot either. https://twitter.com/...