May be I am missing some context, what has slowed down of iPhone manufacturing or hardware capacity constrain got to do with "over hiring"? Especially in the Software department side of things?
Obviously it can be more complex/flexible than that with regards to a cash pile, being able to borrow money, etc., but it still generally holds. It would be unusual for any long-established business to be ramping up hiring at the same time that supply constraints are diminishing revenue.
> It would be unusual for any long-established business to be ramping up hiring at the same time that supply constraints are diminishing revenue.
This is not unusual at all. When hardware sales is down company often want to compensate by increasing software sales, that likely means uptick in hiring. In fact that’s one of the strength of Apple. They can weather worsen market conditions thanks to their diversified product and services portfolio.
(I'm also surprised because I think Apple's software quality has gone down, and it seems like an area worth investing in.)
For a layperson like me, this sort of day-in day-out contact with the supply chain puts this justification will within the realm of reason.
I also can’t imagine that “hardware” and “software” teams aren’t in complete isolation. At the very least, being a more hardware-focused company potentially affects Apple’s overall company culture in a way that would have this impact on their hiring practices.
https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/01/11/apple-spends-150m...