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Off the top of my head:

* Meeting with top developers and encouraging them to move from a "buy once" scheme to a subscription-based model

* Using push notifications to advertise their own services, then eventually removing the App Store rule preventing third parties from doing the same

* Creating the in-app purchasing system but not adequately regulating its usage, creating the microtransaction fueled mobile game market

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I partially disagree with the first one being a problem. For apps that require ongoing developer resources, I actively seek out subscriptions now. (And some export off ramp)

I’ve been burned too many times by a great app that I have invested time into, only for it to be non-function years down the line after an OS update or a switch to another platform.

This is mostly an issue with knowledge management type software. I’ve moved everything I can to Obsidian, since the off-ramp is just clear text, and still subscribe to it to help incentivize ongoing development.

While subscriptions are certainly better for developers, a more consumer-friendly approach would be upgrade pricing. In fact, that's what developers were requesting for years before they started being pushed towards subscriptions.

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