Over the past few years, one of the themes surrounding Apple has been that the company is not developing software fast enough and is not keeping up with its competitors. This has become especially relevant against the backdrop of the widespread use of artificial intelligence. Now it has become known that Apple CEO John Ternus is demanding that Vice President of Software Development Craig Federighi speed up the software development process.
Image source: 9to5mac.com
Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman reported this. He added that there is currently no indication that Federighi may leave the company in the near future. Moreover, according to the journalist, Federighi considers developing a succession plan a very low priority.
Even so, Ternus wants to see some changes in the way Federighi frames software strategy at Apple. The report says that Ternus recently held a closed meeting with Federighi, who has been overseeing AI at Apple since last year. During this meeting, Ternus demanded that Federighi accelerate software development, not limit itself to just the necessary improvements to Siri, but continue to move forward.
Federighi’s approach to software development is largely tied to his own involvement in the details, which is why his point of view determines how the process proceeds. This also leads to development teams feeling that their influence on what is happening is significantly limited. Federighi is known for being particularly active in meetings and major decisions. Some employees feel that this management style leaves little room for alternative ideas to gain traction.
Federighi is also known for often being very active in challenging opposing points of view, relying on a deep knowledge of technical details and the ability to defend his position with arguments. This approach helps him reject proposals with which he personally disagrees. This often frustrates developers and designers, some of whom feel that they have very little influence on how a particular software product is developed. It is also noted that Federighi is making plans only for a period of 12-18 months, which is significantly different from the development of hardware products, where it is customary to formulate roadmaps for many years to come.
It is also noted that the head of the development teams for the AI version of Siri and the Vision Pro headset, Mike Rockwell, is seriously considering leaving Apple. Such a move would be a major blow for the company given its role in bringing the updated Siri to market after a nearly two-year delay.
Gurman noted that Apple is experimenting with a new development process that gives engineers 50% more time to write code and conduct research. At the same time, integration time is reduced, since AI agents for generating code have become more productive. It’s unclear what exactly Apple might change to speed up software development. It appears that Federighi will have to loosen his grip on the development process, thereby allowing other top managers to fully open up and implement their ideas.
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