RIM Ex-Employee: Prideful Leadership Killed Us, But There's Still A "Real Shot"

Without a shadow of a doubt, RIM is struggling. It feels like every day we see something new pop up on the reader about how RIM forecasts were cut, and then nearly missed, or how Mike Lazaridis straight up freaked out during a BBC interview, or how one of the COOs needs to take medical leave, (pause to take a breath…) or how the company lost its sixth-largest investor, or how PlayBook sales are a mess, or how the BlackBerry maker has been reduced to layoffs, and the list goes on.

Seriously, just aggregating contextual evidence on the woe-stricken Waterloo-based company for this article was exhausting. But to put a sour little cherry on top of what seems to be a spoiling BlackBerry-flavored sundae, a former RIM employee has stepped out to explain why he thinks the company can’t seem to get back on top, or even close.

In his opinion, the problems can be tracked all the way to the very top, starting with co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis. “The problem is that they brim with hubris regarding their success in the corporate market and are culturally blind to the gaping holes in their armour regarding consumers. They honestly think they understand consumer product, business, mentality, marketing – but they really don’t,” says the source. That hubris comment isn’t too far off, either. Remember during that BBC interview when Lazaridis named at least five different demographics that just love their BlackBerrys?

What’s interesting is that this source isn’t a disgruntled firee. In fact, he still sees the possibility for a comeback, as long as a few changes take place sooner rather than later. “RIM is a very professionally run company with hardworking and relatively motivated people. They are not dead at all,” he writes, and added that he still thinks the company has a “real shot,” as long as QNX is the home run it has to be.

[via Business Insider]