Created by Tim Cook | Tech Crunch

Tim Cook will step down from his position in September after 15 years as Apple’s CEO.

On the latest episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Kirsten Korosec, Sean O’Kane, and I discuss Apple’s big announcement. We looked back at how Apple has changed since Cook took over from Steve Jobs in 2011, and what challenges the next CEO, John Ternas, will face.

“You look at one camp and you’re like, ‘John Ternus is in product and this is going to be great,’ which is very nostalgic and goes back to Steve Jobs,” Kirsten said. “But I think what people forget is that Tim Cook was actually building a different product that was completely about operations.”

Similarly, Sean noted that Cook has given Tarnus a strong “starter” and that “the company’s numbers just keep going up.” But a run-up start doesn’t guarantee victory: “How much volatility is there around the corner? Are we really looking at the situation?” [with] Isn’t the collapse of the global economy and the rise of artificial intelligence changing the way we do business?”

Continue reading for a preview of the entire conversation (edited for length and clarity).

Anthony: Apple’s decision has implications for many other companies. Because there are all kinds of startups that may not have built their entire business on the iOS platform. But it’s true that a significant part of their business is on the iPhone.

Kirsten: I think it’s really interesting to see different positions in the tech industry react to whether this is a good move or a bad move. [asking] What was Tim Cook’s success and what does Apple need now?

When you look at one camp, it’s like, “John Tarnas is in charge of product and this is going to be great,” which is very nostalgic and goes back to Steve Jobs. But I think what people forget is that Tim Cook was actually building a different product that was completely about operations. And there was some really interesting coverage in the books that delved into this. His operational strategy is Apple products. And it changed the entire economy.

The question for me is, what happens when the strategists and operations people leave? Who is filling that void? Because you can make great products, and that’s certainly very important in the Apple world. However, it requires an operational strategy. And the world has changed, and it’s not the same as when Tim Cook first built this.

Sean: Not really, but it’s hard to imagine a better start for a new CEO than at the company that Tim Cook built.

As much as people complain that some of Apple’s products have stagnated, the iPhone hasn’t really changed its design over the generations. Whatever the new product is, like the Vision Pro, it’s a very niche and over-conceived product. Despite this, the company’s numbers continue to rise in some ways. They bring in huge income. They are making an incredible amount of money from the services business that Tim Cook started.

In some ways, they’re building their brand better than before by going out and creating content, like winning an Oscar for a movie. There’s so much going on. And Ternus doesn’t have to worry about how the first year will go, as it appears to be a very solid business even in turbulent times.

We have to say this: Tim Cook will step down as CEO in September of this year. He is also scheduled to serve as executive committee chairman. So I think the idea here is that Tim Cook isn’t going away, he’s still going to continue to be a shield and kind of a partner to the Trump administration. Because he’s certainly demonstrated the ability to do that — to make that relationship long enough to last, I think, sacrificing some of Apple’s values ​​in the process that many would argue. Donald Trump even posted on Truth Social how Tim Cook kisses his butt all the time in response to the news.

With the above in mind, the question is: As much as this is probably a comfortable start for Ternus, how much volatility is there around the corner? Are we really looking at the situation? [with] Is the way we do business changing due to the collapse of the global economy and the rise of artificial intelligence? Is it really something he can handle? And who is he going to have by his side to make sure he can handle it?

Anthony: I think that’s a related question. [is,] Apple seems to have a very durable business right now, both on the hardware side and on the services side, but how long can they sustain that business just by playing old hits?At what point do they actually need to create a new product category?

I don’t know the exact answer to that. And maybe an iPhone [and] In particular, the birth of the smartphone category is a once-in-a-generation event, and we can’t expect it to happen every 10 years or more.

I think there are some interesting questions about AI as well. It doesn’t seem to be a category in which Apple has had much success, but that’s probably okay. Perhaps whatever product ends up breaking out there is just software on your iPhone or MacBook, and Apple doesn’t need to build all of that. [and] Instead, we are doing these partnerships as they are now.

But I don’t think that’s guaranteed. I think there’s probably a lot of stress and anxiety about what that future holds.

Kirstin: I was going to jump right in and say that Apple can and does have the cash on hand to make big bets and acquisitions. And I really want to know what happens to John [Ternus] Run it.

I mean, one of the places I reported on Apple was Project Titan, the special projects team that was supposed to be the Apple car, but that seems to have died down and a lot of money was spent on it. Is he going to make a big bet?

You were talking about cash on hand, and I think by the end of 2025 it will be over $45 billion. That means they have a lot of money at their disposal. Is he planning to do anything about it soon?

Sean: The other thing I’d like to point out is that when you’re talking about Apple having an enduring business, the App Store has been really killing that as well recently. This week, Sarah Perez wrote a really good article about all the changes in numbers in the App Store. This is a great read for anyone looking to dig into data from the world’s largest software marketplace, including installs, new releases to the App Store, and more.

In a world where everyone is talking about how the ability to code everything would eliminate the need for distributed software. [the App Store] It clearly proves that to be wrong.