What if the rise of Apple also built modern China?
a16z’s Erik Torenberg is joined by board partner and former Microsoft Windows chief Steven Sinofsky to unpack how Apple’s pursuit of design excellence and supply chain scale catalyzed China’s manufacturing superpower status - and why that partnership is now under intense scrutiny.
Inspired by the book Apple in China (but not a book review), the episode dives deep into:
- The early days of Apple’s shift to Chinese manufacturing
- What experts got wrong in 1999 about trade, globalization, and China’s trajectory
- How Tim Cook’s operational playbook reshaped the global tech industry
- Behind-the-scenes stories from Microsoft’s own hardware battles and Surface launch
- Why Apple’s entanglement with China may now be a strategic liability
- What COVID revealed about fragile global dependencies — and where innovation goes next
- How national policy, intellectual property, and AI intersect in the new industrial era
The episode opens with a few reactions to WWDC: Apple’s new UI, the iPad’s evolving role, and why Apple’s AI story still feels unfinished - before zooming out into one of the most consequential tech and geopolitical stories of our time.
TImecodes:
00:00 Introduction
00:37 Guest Introduction: Steven Sinofsky
00:49 WWDC Reactions and Apple's AI Story
02:27 WWDC Highlights: Liquid Glass and iPad Updates
05:16 Apple's AI Strategy and Market Dynamics
06:34 Meta's AI Moves and Market Implications
13:30 Apple's Manufacturing Evolution: From Garage to Global
20:50 The Rise of ODMs and Global Manufacturing
26:32 Microsoft's Struggle with Piracy in China
27:19 Apple's Revolutionary MacBook Air
29:30 Challenges in PC Manufacturing
31:05 The Rise of Chinese Manufacturing Skills
32:07 The Point of No Return for Apple and China
32:59 Global Trade and Intellectual Property Issues
37:04 COVID-19's Impact on Global Manufacturing
41:19 Future of Innovation and Manufacturing
47:10 Navigating Intellectual Property in the AI Era
48:55 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Resources:
Find Steven on X: https://x.com/stevesi
Find Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg
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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
