Spend five minutes at WWDC and you’ll notice: Apple never really talks to “developers” the way Microsoft or Google do. Sure, there are plenty of coders in the crowd, but the energy is different. It’s not just about code, it’s about creation.

Apple wants their “developers” to be Imagineers: artists with code in their toolbox. They want people who care as much about how something feels as how it works. Every bit of the Apple ecosystem, from SwiftUI to the way apps get featured in the App Store, is built to reward those who think like builders and designers. The dream is to make something beautiful, something human, something that gives people a moment of delight.

And here’s the twist: Apple has built their whole App Store model around this creative-first view. The platform is their canvas. The rules are strict. The APIs are curated. The rails are laid out not to enable deep-level hacking, but to keep things clean, predictable, and “Apple-like.”

This was all fine in the early App Store days, when the classic Apple developer was an indie with a wild idea and the skills to pull it off. But look at where we are now: the App Store is big business. It’s packed with companies that have more engineers than Apple itself. It’s banks, social networks, streaming giants, not just artists and indie tinkerers. These folks aren’t in it for the dream of delighting users. They’re here because the App Store is one of the best ways to reach a billion pockets.

And this is where the whole relationship breaks down.

The Courtroom Fight is About Identity

Apple’s recent court cases, from Epic to Spotify and beyond, aren’t just about money. They’re about identity. Apple still sees the App Store as their creative playground, their gallery, their theme park. And, like Disney, they want a cut of every ticket sold, every churro eaten, every T-shirt bought inside the gates.

But that mindset doesn’t fit the reality anymore. Developers today include everyone from solo makers to multinational corporations. Many are here to build platforms, run commerce, push subscriptions. They want access, flexibility, and business freedom. Apple wants polish, delight, and a piece of the action.

You can see the tension in the way Apple talks about the “developer community.” The subtext is always:

“If you want to be here, play by our rules. Be creative. Be thoughtful. Make something worthy of the platform we built.”

But that doesn’t land when the developers are companies with entire legal teams, massive user bases, and their own bottom lines. They want to build, yes, but also to own more of the customer relationship and the profit.

Two Different Worlds, One Platform

This is why the fights keep getting nastier. Apple wants to take a cut, not just as a toll, but as a royalty for building the creative foundation everyone profits from. In their eyes, they’re not just a middleman; they’re the owner of the stage and the curator of the show.

But for a huge swath of today’s “developers,” Apple’s vision is out of step. They don’t see themselves as Imagineers. They see themselves as business operators, engineers, builders at scale. They want to shape the tools, not just color inside Apple’s lines.

The animosity isn’t really about thirty percent. It’s about the gap between Apple’s self-image and what its developer base has become.

So What’s the Fix?

It’s simple, but not easy.

Apple needs to admit there’s no one-size-fits-all “developer.”

The platform is too big, too important, and too crowded for a single creative mold. That means it’s time for Apple to segment its approach and stop pretending everyone’s building a beautiful indie app for fun.

What does that look like?

• Different Rules for Different Builders.

  Apple can keep its Imagineer dream alive for solo devs, students, and true creatives, the folks who love the “delight” pitch. But they need a different playbook for enterprise, for platforms, for the heavy-duty engineering orgs. Maybe that’s a separate review pipeline, different revenue share, or more flexible tools.

• Open the Conversation.

  Apple should have regular, public feedback loops with the people actually building on their platform and with those who want more than just “polish.” They can’t rely on applause at WWDC. They need honest, two-way dialogue.

• Transparency About the Cut.

  Just say what it is: a royalty on the creative foundation they built. That’s fair as long as it’s stated up front and doesn’t hide behind “we’re doing this for your own good.” Be clear about the value and the cost, and let builders choose.

• Let Builders Choose Their Path.

  Not every app wants to be an Apple Showpiece. Some just need to get stuff done, reach users, and build a business. Give people that lane. Make the process less punishing for those who opt out of the “delight” pipeline.

Bottom line:

Apple’s platform has room for both Imagineers and Engineers, for artists and operators. But you can’t treat them all the same. The magic is in recognizing the difference, and giving each the respect they’re due.

If Apple can get real about who its developers really are, maybe we can get past the courtrooms and back to building cool things.