Apple
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Tim Cook had an extraordinary run — and impeccable timing, both in terms of when he became CEO, and when he is stepping down.
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Apple has survived 50 years by being the only company integrating hardware and software; if the company loses because of AI it will be because the point of integration changes.
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Apple is well and truly a services company; hardware is necessary but insufficient for future growth.
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For Apple, hitting middle age means a strategy primarily focused on monetizing its existing customers. It makes sense, but one wonders what happens next.
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A core part of what makes Apple Apple is its organization structure; Tim Cook has said it will never change. However, if Apple is serious about being a services company, change it must.
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Clayton Christensen continually predicts that Apple will be disrupted because his theory does not incorporate the importance of the user experience.
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The Future of Tech Conferences; Apple’s Supply Chain, Continued; Remote Work and Zoom
Three potential long-term impacts of COVID-19 on the tech industry might be seen in consumer-focused developer conferences, supply chains, and Zoom’s chances versus Microsoft.
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Apple’s Investor Warning, Foxconn’s Investor Warning, An Interview with Dan Wang
Apple issued its second revenue warning in two years, and while the circumstances were very different, both were about China. Then, Foxconn is diversifying — will that speed up? Plus, an interview with Dan Wang about supply chains in China.
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The Corona Virus Whistleblowers; NBA Salary Cap Decreases; Apple, Benefits, and Risks
The Coronavirus continues to spread in China, even as reports emerge of why it was not dealt with in time to make a difference, reframing the costs of authoritarianism.
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Apple’s Earnings, Slowing Services Growth, Apple and the Coronavirus
Apple’s surging iPhone sales and slowing services growth suggest that lots of iPhone customers are upgrading. It’s a testament to how strong Apple’s position is that revenue it misses now it catches later.
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The Tragic iPad
The iPad is 10, and while it remains a useful device, it is ultimately a disappointment. Apple lost the vision for what the iPad could be, and never gave space for developers to figure it out for them.
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Clayton Christensen Passes Away, Professor Christensen and I, Kobe Bryant and Measuring Your Life
There is no greater influence on Stratechery than Professor Clayton Christensen, but it is another death — Kobe Bryant’s — that reminds me of what truly matters.
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iCloud Backups and Encryption; Facts, Principles, and Concerns; Determining Defaults
More encryption news, this time about how Apple holds the keys to iCloud backups. I think this approach strikes the right balance: privacy exists, particularly if you work for it, while acknowledging legitimate societal concerns.
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Lime Leaves 12 Cities; Scarcity Amongst Abundance; An Update on Apple, Trump, and Encryption
Scooter companies appear to be struggling, which is not a surprise; still, it is an excuse to re-visit assumptions around ride-sharing in comparison, and an generalizable principle about Aggregation Theory. Plus, an update on Apple versus the FBI.
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Visa/Plaid Follow-Up; Apple v FBI, Round 2; 2020 Differences
More on Visa/Plaid, including why payments in the U.S. and China are so different. Then, Apple is facing off against the FBI again, but its position is both stronger technologically and weaker politically.
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The End of the Beginning
The beginning of technology was about the shift from batched computing in one place to continuous computing everywhere. That era of paradigm changes may be over, which means the real changes are only beginning.