Carl Pei to Tim Cook after Nothing’s design lead joins Apple: ‘Let me know...'
The Nothing CEO playfully teases Tim Cook after Apple hires former Nothing design lead Mladen M Hoyss.
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In a playful exchange that caught the attention of tech enthusiasts worldwide, Carl Pei, co-founder and CEO of London-based consumer tech startup Nothing, took a light-hearted jab at Apple CEO Tim Cook after the tech giant announced hiring former Nothing Software Creative Director Mladen M Hoyss.
Hoyss, renowned for his minimalist, user-centric design philosophy, confirmed his move to Apple via social media on May 20. Sharing the Apple logo on platform X (formerly Twitter) with the caption "New beginning @Apple," he also updated his bio to reflect his new role on the "Apple Design Team."
Carl Pei quickly responded with a message that was equal parts congratulatory and subtly provocative: “Congrats dude, proud of you! @tim_cook let me know if you need any more product help.”
The playful comment swiftly gained attention, interpreted by observers as a savvy branding move positioning Nothing as a nurturing ground for top-tier design talent sought by even the world's largest tech company, valued at approximately $4 trillion.
Social media reactions were swift and diverse. One user commented, "This shows that Nothing is so good at what it does that even Apple prefers to ‘adopt’ its talent," while another remarked, "This congratulations message looks more like a sarcastic one."
Some observers drew comparisons with past Silicon Valley rivalries, notably recalling a sharp exchange in 2005 when Steve Jobs confronted Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen over hiring practices.
Before his tenure at Nothing, Hoyss co-founded minimalist smartphone startup Blloc, creator of the acclaimed Ratio App. His work at Nothing was critical to the design and development of Nothing OS—celebrated for its clean, clutter-free aesthetic in a crowded smartphone market dominated by increasingly complex interfaces.
Pei’s timely comment comes just ahead of the anticipated July 2025 launch of the Nothing Phone (3), expected to further advance the company’s distinctive design philosophy and solidify its position as an innovative force in consumer technology.
