Andy Rubin (Andy Rubin) with the correct pronunciation of Andy Rubin, is a programmer and entrepreneur from the United States, who is best known for his work in founding Android. Before creating the popular mobile operating system, he had worked in many companies for many years and finally, his idea and plan were supported by Google. An idea that has become the most popular mobile operating system in the world today. Rubin left Google after a few years and decided to start his own business and invest in startups. Of course, none of his subsequent activities were as big as Android.

People who have worked with Rubin consider him a genius with technical knowledge. An engineer who understands the subtleties of management and entrepreneurship and has dynamic leadership. Android was Andy Rubin’s nickname during his years at Apple. This term, which was generally used for robots, was given to Rubin because of his strong interest in these human-made creatures. Rubin has always been interested in making, be it coding or building robots. When Rubin was developing his mobile operating system, he was trying to create a competitor to Symbian, Blackberry, and Microsoft Windows Mobile. An effort that came to fruition and finally turned Android into the main competitor of Apple’s iOS. The competition between Google and Apple reached its peak since then, and the late Steve Jobs sent harsh comments to Rubin and his mobile operating system.

In the years of working at Google and managing the Android sub-category, Andy Rubin made the foundations of the operating system he built so strong that the development in the coming years went quickly; The result of an ethical case became the point of Rubin‘s credit at Google. He was forced to leave the company due to the lawsuit and scandal, despite the secrecy of Google managers. Rubin‘s departure from Google was accompanied by a lot of controversy and media hype, and he sent severe criticism to Mountain View executives, who had even rewarded him. However, after leaving Google, Rubin focused on investing in the business ecosystem. He also started a smartphone manufacturing company, Essential, which was announced in the media recently.

Early years and entering the business world

Andy Rubin (full name Andrew E. Rubin) was born in 1963 in Chappaqua, New York. Since childhood, he lived in a world full of gadgets. His father’s company was active in the field of industrial photography, and Andy was introduced to attractive images of smart industrial products from childhood. He completed his high school education at Horace Greeley School in his hometown, and during high school, he did his first serious robotics activities. Rubin designed a remote control for the Kenner R2-D2 toy and moved it around the house with computer control.

Rubin‘s talent and interest in the computer world were evident from childhood and adolescence. For this reason, he chose the field of computer science at university and completed his higher education in 1986 at Utica College in New York. As we said, robots were an important part of Rubin‘s interests. On the other hand, due to the development of a social network-like survey called Spies at the University (1981), Rubin took pride in creating the concept of a social network 23 years before Facebook. From a young age, he focused on the development of products and technologies in this field and chose his first job related to his interest.

Carl Zeiss was Andy Rubin‘s first workplace. He was employed as a robotics engineer in a German company and worked there for two years. The next destination of the American engineer was again Europe. After Carl Zeiss, Andy went to the SIP Institute in Geneva, Switzerland.

Andy Rubin‘s popular toy that became an Android icon

Andy Rubin‘s serious entry into the world of technology took place with a company that later became his serious competitor. Andy Rubin met Bill Caswell during a summer vacation in the Cayman Islands. Their relationship became more serious and Bey offered Andy a job at Apple. This offer became an excuse for Rubin to pursue his life path more seriously in the world of technology.

By the time Andy Rubin joined Apple, they were in good shape. Mackintosh’s popularity had reached its peak, But Steve Jobs was not present in the company he founded. However, Rubin gained a lot of experience while working at Apple and was one of the most popular employees. The nickname Android was given to him by a colleague in the same years to show that Andy has a great interest in robots.

The closure of General Magic meant the end of Rubin‘s cooperation with Apple. He started a new company called Artemis Research together with some of his colleagues in the mentioned company and some of the former employees of Apple. They developed a product called WebTV, which was designed to combine the worlds of the Internet and television. The Artemis company finally became an excuse for Rubin to continue his work in another giant of the technology world: Microsoft. The Redmondis welcomed the Artemis product and bought the company, and Rubin continued his work at Microsoft. One of Rubin‘s interesting projects at Microsoft was the creation of a robot equipped with a camera, which was done with the sole purpose of attracting the attention of colleagues. Rubin eventually left Microsoft and WebTV in 1999.

After leaving Microsoft, Andy Rubin decided to work independently. He rented space in Palo Alto and continued his research and hardware and software experiments there. His office was full of robots that he designed and produced for research development and testing. The same environment somehow inspired Rubin to do something new.

Danger Inc. was the brainchild of Andy Rubin, who started working with his old friends Matt Hershensen and Joe Britt in 1999. The name of the company was taken from a robot from the movie Lost in Space. Rubin became the CEO of the company; A company that was launched with the aim of designing and developing hardware, software, and services for mobile processing devices. The success of Rubin‘s new company was notable with a device called the Danger Sidekick. This device, which was first developed as Danger Hiptop, was finally marketed as T-Mobile Sidekick. Rubin said about the mentioned device: “We wanted a device that would be the size of a chocolate bar and come to the market at a price of less than 10 dollars. We wanted this device to have the ability to scan objects and receive information about them from the Internet. A device that acted like an intelligent assistant.

Rubin‘s new company was a center of genius engineers and designers who produced a product ahead of its time. However, they could not market their idea well and other companies were not willing to cooperate with Danger. Ultimately, Andy Rubin kept his faith in his new idea and company alive until Microsoft bought the company in 2008.

The ideas and experiences that Andy Rubin had gained from the Danger Company led to the development of a revolutionary idea in his mind. He nurtured his many ideas to create Android. An idea whose name was taken from the same nickname of Andy Rubin‘s distant years. It is interesting to know that the Android.com website was Andy Rubin‘s personal website until 2008.

Creating Android and joining Google

Andy Rubin founded Android, Inc. in October 2003. His early colleagues were Rich Miner (co-founder of Wildfire Communications), Nick Sears (former SVP of T-Mobile), and Chris White (WebTV user interface designer and developer). Andy Rubin needed investors to develop and develop the idea of ​​Android and cooperated with Redpoint Ventures. His initial idea was to create a powerful mobile platform that would be open source and lead to faster innovation and multiple benefits for the customer.

Andy finally called his friend Steve Perlman and explained the startup’s challenges. Although Rubin did not directly ask for investment and funding in his conversation with Perelman; Steve promised to inject new capital into the company. Perlman donated $10,000 from his personal account to the Android company. About his action, he says that he trusted Andy’s idea and decided to help him. Perlman later did not ask for any shares from Android. Andy Rubin, by receiving cash help from his friend, returned the development process of Android to the normal routine. He used the new capital to expand the team and leased a larger office in Palo Alto.

Google executives’ familiarity with Andy Rubin goes back to a lecture at Stanford University. A university that has been the place of study for many great people in the current world of technology and plays an important role in the development of Silicon Valley. In 2002, Andy Rubin gave a talk about the Sidekick device at Stanford, which was attended by Larry Pitch and Sergey Brin. Later, in a private meeting with Rubin, Page had seen his device up close and admired the idea even more for using the Google search engine in it.

Larry Page’s relationship with Andy Rubin deepened in the following years. Page imagined a bright future for Android from the very beginning, while Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt (then CEO of Google) distanced themselves from the idea and considered themselves far from the mobile world. However, Page became fascinated with the idea of ​​an open-source mobile operating system and the prospect of global development managed by Google fascinated him more. He believed that Android is one of the most suitable ideas for Google. Page also had the idea of ​​a Google smartphone in mind and tried his best to bring Android to Mountain View. At first, Rubin was hesitant to join Google and did not consider the organizational culture to be a good fit.

Andy Rubin has been instrumental in many of the technology industry’s historic innovations. During the same years of Android development, he also made serious investments and in 2004, he contributed $100,000 to Sebastian Theron’s project to develop a self-driving car. Theron won the Darpa Grand Challenge with Rubin‘s help and later worked as the manager of Google’s self-driving car division.

Page’s efforts to recruit Andy Robin and the Android team finally came to fruition in 2005. They acquired Android by paying about 50 million dollars. The main team members, including Andy Rubin, joined the new company. The interesting thing is that at that time and even until some time later, no one knew why Google should buy a mobile operating system. Even now, much of the narrative surrounding Google’s original intentions is speculation. However, Android is still known as a mobile software development company, and most thought that Google was planning to enter the mobile market.

Andy Rubin started working at Google as the senior vice president of a new team called Android. He managed a team of eight people responsible for the development of a mobile platform based on the Linux kernel. Google was also committed to marketing processes for Android as a platform for mobile devices. They started their cooperation with numerous software and hardware companies and the news of the development of the operating system was also announced to mobile operators.

Andy Rubin‘s tenure at Google was accompanied by the management and development of numerous projects. He helped form the Android Update Alliance, which coordinated the release of updates between carriers. Other positive activities of Rubin at Google include supporting and managing the purchase of Motorola.

Apple and Google war

In 2007, Apple introduced the iPhone, which entered the mobile world as a revolutionary product. At that time, Google was still developing its mobile operating system, Android. When Steve Jobs showed the iPhone on stage with his usual marketing skills, Andy Rubin realized that he had to completely redesign his ideas for the launch of the operating system.

Andy Rubin was watching the iPhone launch event via the Internet while riding in a taxi. When Steve Jobs was showing his company’s new smartphone to the audience, Andy asked the driver to stop the car. Surprised by the introduction of the Apple device, he came to the conclusion that he should not introduce the desired phone. Apple was carrying out the development and design plans for its new phone with appropriate news coverage. In fact, most Google engineers were aware of the plans of Steve Jobs and his team; But none of them imagined that a competitor would introduce and offer a product of this quality.

Rubin‘s smartphone display style looks similar to Steve Jobs

Google decided to introduce the mobile operating system by the end of 2007. After the iPhone was announced, they decided to postpone the launch schedule; Because Android had many similarities with the iPhone operating system. In fact, the introduction of the iPhone gave a strong blow to the entire Android project. In addition to the similarity of the operating system to iOS, Google engineers faced a more serious problem, which is the same high quality as the iPhone. A quality that made their achievement look like old technology. Even one of the Android engineers said that the initial design of the operating system was really inappropriate and weak compared to the iPhone, and in comparison, it looked like a product from the 1990s.

The Android team continued the development of the operating system despite the hard blow it received from Apple. Finally, in cooperation with HTC, they launched the first Android smartphone called HTC G1 or HTC Dream in 2008. The software on that phone was nowhere near as good as iOS on the iPhone, But it seemed so similar to Apple’s achievement that it brought anger and a strong reaction from Steve Jobs. In a sharp comment, he said that all parts of Android are disgusting imitations of their work.

After Jobs saw and experienced Android closely, he seriously asked Google managers to change its design. He arranged an important meeting with the iPhone’s chief software designer, Scott Forstall, in which Larry Page Andy Rubin , and Alan Eustis, Google’s senior vice president of engineering, were also present; A historical meeting that proceeded in a worrying manner. One of Apple’s executives, who was later informed by Jobs about the content of the meeting, said about it: “The meeting went completely towards personal problems. Jobs said that Rubin got very angry and told him that he had an anti-innovation approach. Then Steve had spoken angrily to Andy. He accused Andy of trying to be like him and even imitating his style of dressing and glasses.

The historic meeting between Apple and Google was beneficial for Apple despite all the hatred and animosity it created between Jobs and Rubin. Android engineers were forced to change and even remove parts that were very similar to iOS. For example, the multi-touch function that was present in the iPhone was removed from Android. Meanwhile, Rubin was very angry with Jobs. After the historic meeting, he wrote on a board in his office: “STEVE JOBS STOLE MY LUNCH MONEY”.

Rubin was so angry with Jobs that he even decided to leave Google. Andy believed that many of the capabilities that Apple claims to have invented are not actually theirs. However, Android gradually added more features to the operating system, and Rubin also forgot to the leave Google program. After five years, the number of his team members had increased from eight to 250 people.

The controversial story of leaving Google

Andy Rubin left Google in 2014. The path that led to Rubin ‘s separation from Mountain View was a tortuous one, with many crises for both parties. When Rubin was leaving Google, the executives gave him extended appreciation and presented Rubin as a hero. Larry Page, CEO of Google at the time, said about Andy Rubin: “I wish Andy a bright and great future. He had a really big achievement with Android, which now has more than a billion satisfied and happy users.

The process of Andy Rubin ‘s separation from Google began in 2013. Larry Page announced in a blog post in March that Rubin would be moving from managing the Android team to managing a new project at Google. Rubin was replaced by Sundar Pichai, who is currently serving as the company’s CEO. After Android, Rubin went to Google’s robotics department to continue his work in his main field of interest. He was very happy and excited to manage the robotics department and described the new situation as ideal in various interviews. Finally, Andy Rubin left Google in 2014 and started a hardware startup incubator. We will continue the story of his life after leaving Google in the next section.

What was not initially told to the media in the story of Rubin ‘s separation was the illicit relationship of the Google hero with one of the employees, the consequences of which affected the entire company. The former Google employee even accused Rubin of sexual harassment. Google investigated his claims and confirmed their accuracy. Two Google executives made this story public in interviews with the media and said that Pitch asked Andy to resign after learning about the matter. Google could have fired Rubin without paying any benefits. Instead, they paid him a $90 million bonus. Also, the company committed to pay two million dollars to Rubin every month for four years.

Google’s action in support of Andy Rubin was a repeated action. They had previously supported two other male managers in a similar process and even paid allowances after they left the company. The same decisions and actions of senior managers later turned into serious challenges for the people of Mountain View, and many employees described the Google environment as suitable and even encouraging for sexually harassing managers.

Many international media analyzed and analyzed the case of his accusation and Google’s support for years after Rubin‘s separation. Numerous reports from the media such as the New York Times focused the attention of people and company employees on a deep-rooted problem at Google. The media pressure was such that Sundar Pichai later sent a message to employees as CEO, claiming 48 managers and employees were fired for sexual allegations. However, current and former Google employees believed that the company’s actions were not enough.

In the media stream that arose after Rubin‘s departure from Google, many of his colleagues and former managers began to talk about the negative parts of his personality. On the other hand, Rubin was the one who brought Google services from the limited environment of the desktop to the devices that were seen in the hands of billions of users. Rubin, with all his problems, was still Google’s hero in the mobile world. On the other hand, managers who worked with him say that Rubin even humiliated his subordinates in various incidents. Naturally, Rubin and his representative deny this claim.

Investment and independent activity again

Regardless of the reasons and consequences of Rubin‘s departure from Google, he returned to his favorite path, namely designing and creating new concepts. Working in Google’s robotics department did not meet Rubin‘s mental needs. He had solved a big problem, the world of smartphones, and he needed a new problem. Two years after Rubin‘s departure, Wired published an interesting article about his new ideas, excerpts from which we quote.

Andy Rubin launched Playground Global a few months after leaving Google; A company that, according to Rubin, was a new type of company; A combination that combined the concepts of incubator and consulting company; But none of them were. At the new company, Andy Rubin supported hardware startups. He did not, of course, limit his support to grants or advice, and provided them with a centralized engineering department. A department consisting of experienced and professional engineers who all worked with Rubin at Google, General Magic, Apple, and other companies. The engineering team worked closely with young and disruptive startup groups to develop hardware and software to power smart machines.

Rubin‘s vision for Polygrand Global was huge. He didn’t want his company to be limited to making a few products or even nurturing a few companies. Rubin and his colleagues envisioned a future focused on artificial intelligence and attempted to build the foundation of technology development through sponsored companies; Foundations that are freely available to others and eventually lead to the development of an ecosystem like Android. His new company was the booster of the idea; A structure that transformed basic concepts and ideas into products with maximum impact on the surrounding world. Playgrand was Rubin‘s first company in which there was no mention of robots (after Danger and Android), But they had a serious development in mind.

Essential Products was Andy Rubin ‘s next entrepreneurial achievement. He decided to try his luck again in the world of mobiles and peripherals and in 2015, he launched the company. The Essential Phone and its accessories such as the 360-degree camera were one of the main products of the company. Rubin claimed that the Essential Phone will offer users a pure Android experience and will have the fastest software updates. Essential Phone was launched in 2017 and was well received by those interested in the Android ecosystem. Andy Rubin‘s lawsuit and scandal in 2017 caused him to leave Essential Management for a few months. Finally, the Palo Alto-based company announced in 2020 that it would no longer be operating.

Personal life of Andy Rubin

In the story of Andy Rubin‘s departure from Google, we mentioned aspects of his personal life. Misbehavior with employees and leaked documents of Rubin ‘s sexual misconduct have tarnished his reputation alarmingly. She was married to Rei Hirabaru, but they divorced after a series of scandals and lawsuits. They had a coffee shop in Los Altos, California that closed in 2018.

Rubin and his ex-wife lived in a house in Woodside, California, which they bought in 2014 for $23 million. That house was also sold in 2018 during the separation, But now Rubin lives in it. Apparently, he is now known only as a Redpoint Ventures company in terms of employment.

In the story of Rubin ‘s life, there is always a trace of robots. In the years he was active at Google, in addition to managing the Android team, he spent his leisure time designing and developing robots. Rubin had designed several robotic arms for tasks such as preparing coffee. He also had a remote-controlled helicopter that he flew around Google’s yard.

Andy Rubin is known today for a legendary achievement called Android; An operating system that was born with the aim of developing the open-source concept in the mobile world and was seen in all smart devices from cars to home assistants and even televisions. Rubin‘s personal life has somewhat eroded his credibility in various tech circles; But it still has a place next to the greats like Jobs, Torvalds, Gates, and others.