Dropbox just announced a major new product, Paper. However, I think it is far too little far too later. Meanwhile, Google is using pricing gimmicks for Apps, which speaks to how little the core product has evolved.
October 2015
Meituan-Dianping Merge in China, Facebook Messenger’s Business Model, Facebook and Teens
China’s O2O market is in the consolidation phase, and the competition is fierce. That, though, helps highlight why an advertising business model is sometimes so attractive, like, for example, the one that Facebook has. Plus, why the “Facebook has a problem with teens” narrative really isn’t a big deal
Exponent Podcast: AWS and Venture Capital
On Exponent, the weekly podcast I host with James Allworth, we discuss Venture Capital and the Internet’s Impact. Listen to it here.
Venture Capital Follow-up, Square Files for IPO, Concerns About Theranos
A follow-up and some much needed specificity to yesterday’s Venture Capital article, then why Square’s IPO may be a better opportunity than it first appears. Plus, there’s concerning news about Theranos, a company with significant potential.
Venture Capital and the Internet’s Impact
Venture Capital has been transformed by a surprising source: Amazon. Ultimately, no industry is safe from the impact of the Internet.
Twitter Suspends Accounts Over GIFs, SnapChat Shuts Down Snap Channel, More on Moments
Twitter suspended a couple of accounts for tweeting sports highlights GIFs. First a bit about the issue at hand, and then a bigger picture look at what this says about Moments, if anything. Then, Snapchat is getting out of original programming, which is a great sign. Finally, what the future of Moments should look like.
AWS Re:invent, Pure Storage IPOs, Dell to Buy EMC; Enterprise Disruption; Dell’s Logic
Three news events from last week — Amazon’s AWS conference, the Pure Storage IPO, and Dell’s plan to buy EMC — make for a text case of disruption in all its forms.
Microsoft’s Hardware Event, Satya Nadella Versus Windows, The Surface Strategy
Microsoft’s hardware event was very compelling on multiple levels: what it said about Windows, what it said about Microsoft, and what it said about Satya Nadella.
The Web-App Tradeoff, Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages Project, A Win for the Web
Some follow-up on Twitter, and then a deep dive on Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages project. Why is it necessary, what does it do, and is it to be applauded or feared?
Twitter’s Moment
Twitter has had a rough stretch, and most are pessimistic about its chances. I was previously, but I think the upside is looking much brighter than it did before this week.