GoKawiilOn Monday, Apple unexpectedly announced that Tim Cook would be stepping down from his role as CEO after a nearly 15 year tenure. Starting September 1, hardware SVP John Ternus will take over as the new Apple CEO – with Tim Cook becoming executive chairman.
According to a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, John Ternus is going to take more of a decisive approach as CEO, rather than leaving decisions up to a larger group of executives.
Tim Cook, for the most part, has taken a hands-off approach to specific product decisions. As chief executive, he clearly has the final say on things, but for the most part, he chooses to leave decisions to other top executives. From the report:
“Ternus will make decisions” when it comes to product development, said one person who has worked closely with both executives. “If you go to Tim with ‘A’ or ‘B,’ he won’t pick. He’ll ask a series of questions instead if he has concerns.” Ternus, on the other hand, will choose, said the person, who asked not to be identified in order to speak candidly. “It could be right or wrong, but at least it’s a decision.” That shift could mark the end of an era in which major product decisions were made collectively by a small group of top executives.
This mindset will likely prove to be a rather important one, as Apple prepares to enter new product categories and (hopefully) begin to compete on the forefronts of consumer AI.
The report also details that Apple picked John Ternus because they believed he’ll “reinvent” Apple’s product lineup and keep a “sharper focus” on products. MacBook Neo was likely the first true sign of this, with the report remarking that John Ternus urged the company to make it.
It also notes that Ternus is slightly more risk averse for massive new hardware ventures, with the report stating that Ternus appeared more ‘cautious’ when it came to developing Apple Vision Pro and the now-cancelled Apple Car project:
The Vision Pro — long envisioned by Cook as a capstone product — has flopped, despite a decade of development and billions in investment. Apple also spent roughly $10 billion on an autonomous-car project that was ultimately scrapped. In both cases, Ternus’ instincts appear to have been more cautious; he opposed the initiatives to varying degrees.
Wrap up
I can’t help but feel that the first detail about Tim Cook’s hands-off approach to product decisions is the exact reason that Apple Vision Pro is in the position that it is. Apple couldn’t quite develop an appealing pair of AR glasses, so they went with the headset – but now that the headset isn’t selling all that well, Vision Pro stays in this awkward state of limbo where it isn’t super appealing and isn’t getting a successor anytime soon.
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