Steve Jobs on Apple execs as outside directors: ‘I don’t even let Forstall out of the office’

As 50 Cent put it: “this is me with scott forstall he invented the I phone and I pad big dogs only. Lol”

Another interesting tidbit out of Adam Lashinsky’s upcoming book titled “Inside Apple” is former Apple CEO and cofounder Steve Jobs’ take on Apple executives sitting on the board of directors for outside firms. The story goes that the former Apple Vice President of iAd and cofounder of Quattro Wireless approached Steve Jobs after receiving an invitation to sit on the board of directors of a non-competing corporation. This was the conversation, according to Inside Apple:

“What?” Jobs responded. “You’re barely cutting it here,” Jobs said, which Miller understood to be relatively high praise, “and you want to go spend your time helping someone else’s company?”

Miller, as a vice president of the iAd business, was obviously no comparison to Apple’s Senior Vice President of iOS Software Scott Forstall. With iOS devices representing the majority of Apple’s income, Forstall is one of Apple’s most important assets. Even as one of the highest-ranking employees, Jobs would not allow Forstall to sit on another board. Finishing his conversation with Miller, Jobs said the following:

“I don’t even let Forstall out of the office.”

After that discussion, Miller declined his offer to sit on the unnamed board. Miller left Apple in August of last year to become a full-time partner at the Highland Capital Partners firm. Newly promoted Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue initially replaced Miller, but former Adobe executive Todd Teresi now leads the iAd division. The only Apple executive that Steve Jobs allowed to sit on an outside board is Tim Cook, Apple’s current CEO. Cook currently sits on Nike’s board of directors, and this opened the door to some interesting collaborative products, such as Nike+ integration into the iPhone, iPod touch, and older iPod models.