Donny Deutsch Says Steve Jobs is Indespensible to Apple's Brand

Donny Deutsch just went on CNBC and explained that one person is never essential to a brand, but that Apple's case is the case that defies that rule. He reasons that we have already seen it - Jobs created the businesses and the computer, left and the company crashed, and then came back to save it.

While I think that the case that Deutsch makes is a compelling one regarding Apple, I have grown to disagree. Apple today is such a leader is so many different places that the general rule that Deutsch believes in applies here too. Also, Apple has promoted other leaders and now has a succession plan. Finally, I would note that Apple's failures in the mid-1990's were largely a result of the seeds that Jobs had laid - tying operating system to hardware - Jobs is brilliant but they will find other brilliant people.

I expect that Apple is about to take another fall when people, including Deutsch, start to question the explanation about Jobs' genetic disorder. I believe the company is good today and will be good tomorrow after Jobs is gone. So, I'll be a buyer if I see it is the low 80's again.