On Exponent, the weekly podcast I host with James Allworth, we discuss The Facebook Epoch. Listen to it here.
2015
China O2O and Unit Economics; The Fallout — Or Not — Of a Chinese Internet Crash; Uber, Postmates, Shyp, Instacart
The Wall Street Journal says China’s O2O industry may be crashing, something that comes as little surprise to many observers. However, does that mean Silicon Valley should be worried? Plus, how to think about Uber, Postmates, Shyp, and Instacart
Amazon to Stop Selling Chromecast, Apple TV; Google’s New Hardware
There are lots of reasons why Amazon may have decided to stop selling the Apple TV and Chromecast; the true answer probably is a little bit of each. Plus, Google announced new devices, and it wasn’t that exciting.
The AWS Platform, The Liability Shift Has Arrived, Samsung Pay Launches in the U.S.
With all the talk of platforms I’d be remiss in discussing what may be the most vibrant platform of all: AWS. Then, the liability shift arrives today, and a surprising number of merchants aren’t ready. Maybe Samsung Pay had the right strategy after all…or maybe not.
The Facebook Epoch
First came the PC, and on top of the PC the Internet. Then, mobile, but what will rule mobile?
What is Medium Doing?, Facebook Updates Notes
Medium just raised $57 million on a relatively modest valuation, but lots of folks aren’t still sure what the company is trying to accomplish: today I give it my best shot. Plus, Facebook has updated Notes, which look a lot like, well, Medium posts. The appearance, though, isn’t what will make them succeed or fail.
Exponent Podcast: Connect the Dots
On Exponent, the weekly podcast I host with James Allworth, we discuss Volkswagen, then mortgages, then Ben’s time in Taiwan, and finally end with a critique of the Apple Watch. Listen to it here.
Onshape and Disruption, Office 365 and Sustaining Innovation
Onshape is CAD software making a bet that starting with the cloud is fundamentally disruptive. However, disruption includes an economic component, and as Office 365 v Google Apps suggests, if that doesn’t exist the incumbents will respond
Are Ebooks Declining, or Just the Publishers?, Oyster Goes Out of Business, Media Notes
A follow-up on e-book publishing, and why there is so much dispute about just how many e-books are sold.
Disconfirming Ebooks
Aggregation Theory would seem to argue that ebooks are destined to dominate the publishing industry. However, that is decidedly not happening; understanding why is a powerful tool to make the theory better.