Wanna know how your favorite tech news website became a thing? Then check out the latest episode of the Apple Core podcast, featuring an interview with Cult of Mac founder Leander Kahney.
In his 30-year career, Leander has covered many pivotal moments in Apple history. Like Steve Jobs’ return in 1997 and his legendary iPhone launch keynote 10 years later.
Leander literally wrote the book on Steve Jobs, Tim Cook and Jony Ive, and he shares loads of fascinating insights in this unmissable one-hour interview.
Leander Kahney interview on Apple Core podcast
Apple Core is a podcast about the history of Apple hosted by two Cult of Mac alumni: me (Graham Bower) and Charlie Sorrel. In each episode, we travel back in time to explore the history behind a different Apple product and consider what it tells us about where the company may be heading next. Past episodes included guest appearances by Cult of Mac’s own D. Griffin Jones.
But for this special episode, we were graced by the presence of our dear leader Leander Kahney. Leander has been covering Apple for 30 years, for publications including Wired News and MacWeek. He has written five books about Apple, including Inside Steve’s Brain and definitive biographies of Jony Ive and Tim Cook.
Leander has interviewed many current and former Apple executives and has a unique perspective on all things Apple. In this episode, he shares insights on how Steve Jobs turned the company around, Jony Ive’s essential contribution and mixed legacy, and why Tim Cook was exactly the leader Apple needed to take the company to the next level.

Image: Apple Core
From war correspondent to bike courier to tech journalist
In addition to sharing loads of great Apple anecdotes, in this interview, Leander Kahney also tells us his origin story. He grew up in the United Kingdom, and his first journalistic gig was for a local paper in Luton, England, covering a humanitarian mission to Croatia to cover the rescue of refugees from the siege of Sarajevo. Later, he decided to take a six-month vacation to the United States. He got a job as a bike courier in San Francisco and never left.
If you’ve ever wondered how Cult of Mac became a thing, and why on earth Leander decided to call it that, we have all the answers here.
Listen to Leander Kahney interview now, wherever you get your podcasts
To find out more, and get links to the show wherever you get your podcasts, visit the Apple Core podcast website. And be sure to check out all episodes. Recent topics include: