The first fatality due to self-driving cars captures why this space is so difficult: the numbers favor Tesla, but the optics may not. Then, why Hertz’ partnership with Uber is so fascinating.
2016
Exponent Podcast: Ballots Versus Guillotines
On Exponent, the weekly podcast I host with James Allworth, we discuss The Brexit Possibility. Listen to it here.
Follow-up: Governments’ Focus, Elizabeth Warren’s Speech on Competition, Facebook Changes the News Feed
One more follow-up to Tuesday’s Weekly Article, then why I don’t necessarily disagree with calls to regulate big platform players. Then, Facebook has changed the news feed, and while there will be an impact on media companies, the bigger news is what this says about Facebook.
Airbnb Raising Money, Airbnb and Hotels?, Airbnb Sues San Francisco
Airbnb is raising money, and if you view them as an OTA competitors, the valuation makes sense. Still, the company needs to address its externalities problem, and hotels could help.
The Brexit Possibility
Brexit’s downsides are clear; might tech help realize upsides in building something new based on a new world order?
Brexit and Tech: The Narrow View, HBO Versus Netflix, Amazon Dash Buttons
There is a broader story to be told about Brexit and tech, but today the narrower view of its impact. Then, why Netflix and HBO are different, and how Amazon’s Dash buttons demonstrate the company’s strength and the CPG industry’s weakness.
Podcast: Exponent Episode 084 — A New World Order
Ben and James discuss how the TV industry and the companies that advertise on TV are interconnected, and how they will rise and fall together.
Brexit and Tech; More on Musk, Tesla, and Solar City; The Allure of Live: Facebook and ESPN
Why Brexit would be bad for U.S. tech companies, Why Tesla May be Hurt Even if Solar City Isn’t Acquired, and the power of live for escapism and sports
A Word on Tesla, Follow-up: The Big Picture, Tencent Acquires Supercell
Tesla offering to buy Solar City is why corporate governance matters. Then, a follow-up to yesterday’s piece on TV and why there is something much bigger going on, and why Tencent bought Supercell
TV Advertising’s Surprising Strength — And Inevitable Fall
TV advertising is having a good week at the upfronts, and it may be more resilient than expected. That, though, means the crash will be even more abrupt.