Probably a lot less interesting than it seems because it's not like Tim Cook comes into a board room to negotiate.
Most likely middle managers/directors emailing each other.
Most likely middle managers/directors emailing each other.
Pretty much like sovereign nations negotiating treaties.
Which is an apt metaphor, because neither Apple nor TSMC has the ability to force the other to do anything.
So, negotiations become a crawl to find a mutually-acceptable local optimum. Which ends up with both getting things they see as strategic priorities, while compromising on things they care about less.
Most of the dance is around figuring out what the other's strategic priorities actually are, and which concerns are secondary.
Or they have mutually-exclusove strategic priorities, in which case there is no deal.
TSMC is in a stronger position than most suppliers, because they have really strong demand for their product and don't need the prestige that an Apple deal offers.
There’s so seller like TSMC and no buyer like Apple.