Comparing the positions of Jerry Yang (today) versus Steve Jobs (a decade ago) is poignant. Then… Jobs took control (again) of a rotting Apple. Now… it’s an iWorld and Jerry is back at the reins of a limping Yahoo without the results that Jobs has been able to pull off.

Initially Yang’s supporters cited Job’s 1997 return to Apple as a precedent for Yang’s future success. Not so much now – as Yahoo! still appears rudderless, ad dollars fail to match the market and none of the many acquisitions pay out.

Jerry Yang is not the solution for Yahoo!. Yahoo! is now too vast with too much potential advertising revenue to collapse. Who has both the guts and credentials to pull it out of its death match with Google? Who has the vision to transform its user experience into a compelling commerce/content experience unlike anything else online. Who can get “A” talent with a phone call?

Steve Jobs. He built iTunes to sell iPods. He built the iPhone to re-define the browsing experience. He’ll need to control content (not just rely on publishers) to take this entire iVision to the next level. Starting from scratch or in a deal with Disney, is possible. Rebuilding Yahoo! may be much quicker, especially given Jobs’ ability to cut through debris and command the attention of new talent.

Some analyst can run the numbers, but this is the love match for 2008.

Kathy Sharpe, CEO

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