Understanding the differences between aggregators and platforms matters for companies interacting with them and also regulators considering antitrust.
2018
Adobe Buys Magento, Podcast News, ZTE Deal Reportedly Reached
Adobe reached the logical endpoint of its digital ad build-out, but was the journey worth it? Then, news from the podcast world, and the potential resolution of the ZTE ban.
Sports Gambling Defederalized, Amazon Channels
Sports gambling is defederalized, and the opportunity is likely larger than people think: then, Amazon Channels is another manifestation of the company’s “first customer” strategy.
Exponent Podcast: Platforms Versus Aggregators
On Exponent, the weekly podcast I host with James Allworth, we discuss The Moat Map. Listen to it here.
Spotify’s New Hate Policy, Twitter’s Behavior Policy, YouTube Music and YouTube Premium
Spotify’s new hate policy and Twitter’s behavior policy seem like good things at first glance, but what they suggest about the companies’s power is worrisome. Plus, YouTube’s subscription plans are as confusing as ever.
The Moat Map Follow-up; Uber, YouTube, and Spotify; The Public Cloud and Scale
More on The Moat Map, and how it applies to Uber, YouTube, Spotify and the public cloud.
The Moat Map
The Moat Map describes the correlation between the degree of supplier differentiation and the externalization (or internalization) of a company’s network effect.
ZTE and Trump, Dropbox Earnings, Bloomberg’s Paywall
The ZTE saga takes a twist, Dropbox’s first earnings are solid, and Bloomberg shows how the rich get richer.
Exponent Podcast: Two By Twos
On Exponent, the weekly podcast I host with James Allworth, we discuss Tech’s Two Philosophies. Listen to it here.
Platforms Versus Aggregators, What About Amazon?, Walmart Buys Flipkart
Tech’s two philosophies are also about the difference between platforms and aggregators, but even that has its own divisions. Amazon falls on both sides of the divide. Plus, why Walmart’s Flipkart purchase makes no sense.