Gadgets Won’t Define Tim Cook’s Legacy
August 31st, 2026. Happy Monday. Welcome to a new week. Today marks Tim Cook’s last official day as Apple CEO. It seems fitting to dedicate today’s article to Cook. Let’s jump in.
Gadgets Won’t Define Tim Cook’s Legacy
What looks to be a very busy September for Apple will also see John Ternus’s tenure as CEO begin. As part of Apple’s well-orchestrated CEO succession, Ternus has been job shadowing Tim Cook for months. Presumably, Ternus has already unofficially taken the CEO reigns.
Cook has been one of the best all-around CEOs we have seen in the modern business world. Compared to other Big Tech CEOs, there really isn’t a close second either. Unfortunately, time will likely need to pass for more people to realize just how effective and efficient Cook was as CEO.
It's tempting to judge Cook’s time as Apple CEO through a product lens. We can put the Apple Watch, AirPods, and Apple Vision Pro on pedestals to compare them to products such as the iPod, iPhone, and iPad that launched during the Steve Jobs era. However, such comparisons don’t strike me as being complete. Instead, they are superficial and shallow.
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What if We Spread This Process Out (AVALON Podcast Episode)
In the 27th episode of the AVALON podcast, Neil discussed the following topics/subjects:
What's on the Agenda (the bulk of the discussion modeled after Apple’s Monday morning meetings)
The Financial Times' article regarding Apple CEO succession.
Why Apple does deliberate leaks.
Defining the Apple CEO role.
My short list for Tim Cook successors.
How I see Apple CEO succession playing out / what Apple should do.
Lighting Round (two topics two minutes each)
Apple confirms no ad-tier in Apple TV (for now).
Is there an AI bubble?
Give Me a Break (something ridiculous that jumped out at me)
People losing their minds over iPhone Pocket.
Tell Me More (something intriguing that has my attention)
New vs. old/legacy media. Why does new media still elevate old/legacy media in terms of authority and relevancy?
Listen to the first four minutes of the episode below:
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