The voice is loud and clear! Quite a number of Internet users including Yahoo shareholders want their CEO Jerry Yang to step aside.  From “Boy wonder” to “underdog”, it is not a very pleasant experience to Mr Yang indeed! 

“I am Yang, Jerry Yang”

As Yahoo has experienced a prolonged period of turbulence, Jerry Yang took the reign to run the company over the past nine months. Mr Yang described it as his “passion” to save the internet company from state of chaos and disorientation. That reminds TG of James Bond, a fictional character who will brace for dangers and step out with his dinner jacket or tuxedo to save the beleaguered world.

With loads of secret weapons and the guidance of M or Q,  James is invincible, fears no one, finishes his mission with girls falling in his arm at the end of movie.    

James Bond 007

The reality is somewhat different. Jerry has faced a lot of challenges in 2008 despite his efforts to pinning down strategic plan of building a consumer brand for Yahoo. Time is not on his side, he was questioned again for not accepting Microsoft’s acquisition offer in the latest Web 2.0 interview.  Mr Yang was apparently upset as news of Google’s decision to walk away from a 10-year search advertising deal with Yahoo surfaced last week.

It takes more than courage to keep a distance

If TG were Jerry, I would have considered learning from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Steve left his company Apple once – again not his own will, continued his quest for new adventure. He graciously returned to Apple after building NeXT and later found another renowned company, Pixar Animation Studios. Getting too close to Yahoo, Jerry may not be able to see the whole picture. It may cool off his head when distancing himself from the company for a while.

There are two things TG would suggest: 

  • Jerry can relieve himself from daily operation and management, focusing more on planning and product development. Creativity needs space and time! 
  • He can spread the news that he’s looking for Mr M or Q to create ultimate weapons for Yahoo. Great prize can be awarded to the think tank.   

Before the Judgement Day, nobody knows who’s going to be a loser or winner.

Life has a lot of ups and downs… Keep going, Jerry!!

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