As it is almost a month to Apple announcing new CEO, NFL legend and investor says Apple's new CEO should follow Steve Jobs' advices that ...
It’s been a month since Apple announced its leadership transition with John Ternus set to succeed Tim Cook as CEO in September. As reported by Business Insider, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback and longtime Apple investor Fran Tarkenton has shared a message for the incoming Apple CEO . Fran Tarkenton has said that Ternus should follow the advice Steve Jobs once gave Tim Cook which is lead in your own way. Tarkenton recalled Jobs’ words to Cook in 2011: “When you’ve got to make a decision, don’t say to yourself, what would Steve Jobs do? You do what you think is the best thing for the company.” Cook himself shared this advice during a memorial tribute after Jobs’ passing. The message was clear that Apple’s leaders should not imitate their predecessors but chart their own course.
John Ternus brings hardware focus
Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, has been with the company since 2001. His appointment marks a return to product-focused leadership, reminiscent of Jobs’ era, in contrast to Cook’s emphasis on services and Apple-designed chips. Tarkenton described Ternus as “the right guy at the right time”, noting that insiders had been whispering his name as a potential successor for years.
Tarkenton also praised Cook’s tenure, highlighting how he transformed Apple’s services business into a revenue powerhouse that now rivals its hardware division. Cook will remain as executive chairman, ensuring continuity even as Apple eyes its next chapter.
Tarkenton who started investing in Apple in 2015, said he has never sold a share and continues to reinvest dividends. He compared Apple’s leadership strategy to building a winning football team: “The teams that win have the best coaches, and the best coaches make sure they get the best players. Apple does that naturally.”
Apple's next CEO John Ternus tells employees what Apple won't do with AI
John Ternus didn't waste time. Days after being announced as Tim Cook's successor, Apple's CEO-in-waiting walked into a town hall and told employees exactly how he thinks about AI—and more importantly, what Apple won't do with it. "We don't ship technology for technology's sake," Ternus said, according to Bloomberg. It was the clearest signal yet of how he plans to differentiate Apple in an AI race where most competitors have been moving fast and breaking things. Ternus officially takes over on September 1, but he's already setting the tone.
It was a pointed contrast, even if he didn't name names. Google has spent years baking AI into Android at every level. Microsoft went even further, embedding it into Windows' most basic tools—Notepad, Snipping Tool, the taskbar—and paid for it with a user revolt. Ternus seems to know both stories well.
His AI philosophy, as he laid it out, has two parts. First, using AI internally to make Apple better at building—tapping into decades of engineering data to solve harder problems. Second, making sure whatever reaches customers actually feels like an Apple product: considered, useful, and not just impressive in a demo.
John Ternus brings hardware focus
Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, has been with the company since 2001. His appointment marks a return to product-focused leadership, reminiscent of Jobs’ era, in contrast to Cook’s emphasis on services and Apple-designed chips. Tarkenton described Ternus as “the right guy at the right time”, noting that insiders had been whispering his name as a potential successor for years.
Tarkenton also praised Cook’s tenure, highlighting how he transformed Apple’s services business into a revenue powerhouse that now rivals its hardware division. Cook will remain as executive chairman, ensuring continuity even as Apple eyes its next chapter.
Tarkenton who started investing in Apple in 2015, said he has never sold a share and continues to reinvest dividends. He compared Apple’s leadership strategy to building a winning football team: “The teams that win have the best coaches, and the best coaches make sure they get the best players. Apple does that naturally.”
Apple's next CEO John Ternus tells employees what Apple won't do with AI
John Ternus didn't waste time. Days after being announced as Tim Cook's successor, Apple's CEO-in-waiting walked into a town hall and told employees exactly how he thinks about AI—and more importantly, what Apple won't do with it. "We don't ship technology for technology's sake," Ternus said, according to Bloomberg. It was the clearest signal yet of how he plans to differentiate Apple in an AI race where most competitors have been moving fast and breaking things. Ternus officially takes over on September 1, but he's already setting the tone.
It was a pointed contrast, even if he didn't name names. Google has spent years baking AI into Android at every level. Microsoft went even further, embedding it into Windows' most basic tools—Notepad, Snipping Tool, the taskbar—and paid for it with a user revolt. Ternus seems to know both stories well.
His AI philosophy, as he laid it out, has two parts. First, using AI internally to make Apple better at building—tapping into decades of engineering data to solve harder problems. Second, making sure whatever reaches customers actually feels like an Apple product: considered, useful, and not just impressive in a demo.
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