Why did LinkedIn sell? The company almost certainly put itself into a box of its own making, over which it had no control. Meanwhile, Dropbox is cash-flow positive, but the company has made similar mistakes.
2016
Podcast: Exponent Episode 083 — Microsoft & LinkedIn versus Apple & WWDC
On the newest episode of Exponent, the podcast I co-host with James Allworth: Ben and James discuss Microsoft’s acquisition of LinkedIn and Apple’s WWDC announcements, and figure out why they feel so differently about the two of them. Links James Allworth: Who’s going to be having sleepless nights after Microsoft’s LinkedIn deal? — Medium Ben […]
Snapchat’s Advertising API, Snapchat Versus Facebook, Offline Tracking
The biggest news of the week was likely Snapchat’s announcement of an advertising API: how was it introduced, what is it, and how will it affect Facebook? Plus, Snapchat joins Facebook and Google in tracking brick-and-mortar visits.
WWDC Followup: Apple Watch, Apple TV, Siri, Privacy
A follow-up on the specifics of Apple’s 2016 WWDC keynote, with a focus on Apple Watch, Apple TV, Siri, and Privacy.
Microsoft and Apple Double Down
Both Microsoft and Apple made news yesterday, and while one was unexpected and the other predictable, both are effectively doubling down on their strategies. And both may not matter.
WWDC Preview; Line Files for IPO; Yahoo, Twitter, Snapchat and Messaging
Apple’s services messaging is the most important part of WWDC, plus LINE is about to IPO and the challenges of messaging
Podcast: Exponent Episode 082 — A Podcast About Podcasts
Ben and James discuss the present and future of podcasts, and how media companies need to take a holistic approach to their businesses.
Apple Makes Major Changes to App Store, The App Store and Apple’s Nature, Additional Notes
Apple made major changes to the App Store; in this double Daily Article I explain why they’re a big deal but not yet perfect, and how that demonstrates the difficulty of change.
Nest and Podcasting Follow-up, Box Earnings, Microsoft’s Cloud Challenge
Follow-up on Nest and Podcasting, then why Box’s numbers are a bit more worrisome than the company is letting on. Plus, a must-read article on Microsoft.
The Future of Podcasting
Podcasting is stuck between the open model of the past and the push for monetization in the future. Might there be a third way that actually benefits publishers?