John Ternus is the new CEO of Apple. Why software will become his main headache | News Idea

Apple is changing CEO: a hardware engineer instead of logistics-minded Tim Cook. The main challenge is to fix failures in software, where Siri still has not learned to understand users, and Apple Intelligence remains a promise. What this means for the market and your business.

What happened

In September 2025, Tim Cook will give up the CEO chair to John Ternus, senior vice president of engineering. Cook is leaving as one of the most successful leaders in Apple’s history — 15 years of growth and profitability. But his legacy has a crack: the software side of the business has noticeably fallen behind the hardware side. Ternus is known as the person behind device quality — MacBook Air on in-house processors, iPad Pro, MacBook Neo. But the public knows little about Ternus and software. And that is the main intrigue.

Apple has accumulated serious software problems. Maps in 2012 became a disgrace, iOS 7 under Jony Ive was reduced to cosmetics, and Siri under John Giannandrea never became smarter. Apple Intelligence, presented at WWDC 2024, promised a “new era” of the personal assistant, but eight months later the promises remain unrealized. In January 2025, Apple announced a partnership with Google Gemini — an admission that its own AI developments are not competitive enough.

How this is useful for business

A CEO change always creates a window of opportunity. Ternus is an engineer who understands how hardware and software should work together. His arrival may mean a serious shift toward software quality. Personnel changes have already happened: Amar Subramanya from Microsoft and Google became vice president of AI, and Steve Lemay, who has been at Apple since the 1990s, took the position of head of human interface. This is a strong team with real experience.

For business, this is a signal: Apple is ready to invest in software in a new way. WWDC in June 2025 will become the first public statement of the new course. A company that controls 2 billion devices is changing priorities — and this affects everyone: from developers to enterprise clients.

How to make money from this

The AI assistant market is growing by 30% annually and will reach $47 billion by 2028. Apple, with its ecosystem, is a huge but not the only player. Gaps in Apple Intelligence create niches for competitors and partners. The company will actively look for developers with AI expertise, and the corporate sector渴望着 more functional tools.

The partnership with Gemini shows: Apple is ready to work with external technologies. This opens doors for companies that can offer integration, customization, or additional services around Apple’s future AI capabilities.

Business ideas

1. AI partner for business. Create an agent that works with Apple Intelligence and supplements its functions — reporting automation, data analytics, integration with corporate CRMs. Subscription $49-199/month for small business.

2. Courses on AI integration for the Apple ecosystem. Training specialists to work with the new Apple Intelligence and Gemini APIs. Corporate trainings from $2000, online courses $99-299.

3. Apple consulting for business. Implementing Apple solutions in a corporate environment with the new AI capabilities in mind. Contracts from $5000/month.

4. Developer tools for visionOS. Business apps for Vision Pro — remote collaboration, data visualization, 3D modeling. One-time purchases $9.99-49.99 or subscription $9.99/month.

5. Monitoring and analytics for the App Store. A service for tracking App Store trends with Apple AI features taken into account. Subscription $29-199/month for developers.

6. AI agent for personal productivity. An intermediary app between the user and Siri, adding functions that Apple has not yet implemented. Freemium with a premium plan of $4.99/month.

Risks and limitations

Apple is known for being closed: APIs for Apple Intelligence are limited, and App Store policy may block competing solutions. WWDC 2024 showed that Apple’s promises are fulfilled slowly — features announced in June still have not been released. The AI market is overcrowded: Google, Microsoft, Amazon are investing billions. Competing with them directly is impossible — niches must be found.

Dependence on Apple’s decisions is the main risk. The company may change strategy, close APIs, or release its own solution that will destroy a niche product. Diversification is mandatory.

7-day action plan

Day 1-2. Study the WWDC 2024 materials and the January announcement about Gemini. Understand which Apple Intelligence functions were announced but not implemented. Make a list of gaps.

Day 3. Analyze the AI assistant market: who is already working in Apple niches, which user needs are not covered. Identify 2-3 directions for testing.

Day 4. Study Apple APIs and Gemini documentation. Find technical limitations and opportunities for integration. Start experimenting with a prototype.

Day 5. Define the target audience: small business, developers, or the corporate sector. Create an MVP and prepare a basic sales funnel.

Day 6. Test the MVP with 5-10 real users. Collect feedback, adjust the product.

Day 7. Launch the minimal version. Start building a subscriber list. Schedule meetings with potential clients before WWDC 2025.

Original news: Fast Company · See other news in the news section.