Im not really protecting anyone. The author puts forth the idea of Apple having a minimum viable product (just a board), and shipping it because they were once

Im not really protecting anyone. The author puts forth the idea of Apple having a minimum viable product (just a board), and shipping it because they were once young and scrappy. I counter, saying this was simply par for the course at the time. I don't think he has a valid point. 'To be fair' is being used in more of a colloquialistic sense - a sort of introduction to a counter point.