Steve Jobs taught Apple CEO Tim Cook to "never ask what he would do," Cook said on stage at the 10th annual All Things D conference on Tuesday. "Just do what's right. And so I'm doing that."

Cook took the opportunity to reflect upon the lessons he learned from Jobs before his death last October, explaining that the founder never wanted Cook to dwell on what he would have wanted after he died. Instead, Jobs wanted Cook to avoid thinking about the past and instead look to the future, focusing on creating the next great thing.

"When he called me to his home to talk about being the CEO and subsequently the discussions we had, he told me, 'I witnessed what happened at Disney when Walt passed away,'" Cook said. "He said that people would go to meetings, and all sit around and talk about, what would Walt have done? How would he view this? And he looked at me with those intense eyes that only he had, and he told me to never do that, to never ask what he would do. Just do what's right. And so I'm doing that."

Cook has faced a number of challenges since he took over last August, from the latest iPhone and iPad launches to dealing with the public relations "situation" over Apple's suppliers in China. Cook answered questions related to new products and China predictably, implying that there are interesting things to come when WWDC begins in 1.5 weeks, and that the company's dealings in China are often more complex than casual users realize.

"People focus on the final assembly, because that's the part where people look at it and say 'That's an iPhone,'" he said. "They don't think of all the parts underneath that add significant value. So on assembly, could it be done in the US? I hope so some day. The tool and die maker skill in the US began to go down in the '60s and '70s. How many tool and die makers do you know now? We couldn't fill a room. In China you'd need several cities."

Cook also expounded upon accusations that Apple rips off other companies when it comes to the development of products like the iPhone and the iPad. "People accuse us of lots of things," Cook told the audience. "When you look at those, the vast majority of those are on standard essential patents, and this is an area where the patent system is broken today." Cook went on to explain that he believes other companies are trying to use the court system to extract high license fees for so-called fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licensing terms, saying that he believes Apple has "not sued anyone over standards essential patents that we own, because we view that it's fundamentally wrong to do that."

"The problem is, if you add up what they say the patents are worth, nobody could be in the phone business. So, it's gotten kind of crazy," Cook said.

Predictably, Cook avoided questions about the company's upcoming announcements, but said that Apple plans to "double down on secrecy" regarding its upcoming products. Whether that will actually happen remains a mystery, but Cook made sure to emphasize that the company may not always do everything right, but it's going to do its best to enjoy doing what it believes in.

"You could have an S on your chest and a cape on your back and not be capable of doing everything," Cook said. "[Steve] also taught me that the joy is in the journey, which was a revelation for me. And he taught all of us that life is fragile, and that we're not guaranteed tomorrow, so give it everything you've got."

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