CONFLICTED CC: Patrick McGee – How Apple Built a Superpower
Nov 5, 2025
Patrick McGee, a technology reporter and author of "Apple in China," shares insights on Apple's transformation from near-bankruptcy to a global superpower. He highlights Tim Cook's operational genius and the pivotal role of Foxconn's founder, Terry Gou, in enhancing China's manufacturing capabilities. The discussion touches on the chaotic demand in Chinese retail, Apple's strategic partnership with China valued at $275 billion, and the irony of a leading advocate for liberty deepening ties with an authoritarian regime. A must-listen for tech and geopolitics enthusiasts!
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Outsourcing Was A Survival Play
- Apple's shift to outsourcing was born of near-bankruptcy and urgency, not ideology.
- That desperate pivot reshaped global manufacturing and enabled Apple's later dominance.
Terry Gou's Long Game With Apple
- Foxconn founder Terry Gou accepted low margins to learn from Apple and scale capabilities.
- Gou recognized that pleasing Apple would train his factories for global leadership.
Control Without Factory Ownership
- Apple controlled factory processes without owning factories, creating an asset-light manufacturing hegemony.
- This 'Apple way' combined ownership of machines and embedded engineers to exert de facto control.
