Peter Chou said to be HTC’s main problem

It’s no secret that HTC is struggling to stay relevant and competitive in the current mobile market. The company recently spent millions getting Robert Downey Jr on board to help spread their name in North America — the largest mobile market in the world. Whether that move pays off remains to be seen, but it seems the main problem for HTC at the moment is internally, and it starts with CEO, Peter Chou.

An HTC insider whom spoke to Reuters said that Chou is the reason HTC don’t have a clear path going forward, because his attention to detail and ability to design and manufacture a new phone in such a short amount of time means they are forever changing their devices and can’t stick to one coherent design throughout — think iPhone, Galaxy S series.

Chou is also said to be very autocratic in his management style, as he will knock back any decisions management make if he is not happy with it, and he won’t discuss it with them beforehand. This is said to be the reason that high-level executives world wide have slowly left the company — their ideas aren’t being heard, they’re just being tossed away.

If you remember back a few months, Chou said he would step down if the sales of the One did not lift the company back up, and for a month or two there it looked like he might have just saved his job, but more and more it’s looking like his only option is the door if he wants HTC to have another chance to succeed.

The only problem with that is Reuters reports that there’s no internal plan for who could/will take the position of CEO if Chou is to leave the company or step down. You can read a more in-depth look into the issues facing HTC through the links below.