Box’s earnings are being framed in the context of Dropbox, but the real competitor is Microsoft. Dropbox, meanwhile, is charting a different path.
February 2019
The AWS Question, Facebook and Unity, HoloLens 2
How Amazon’s success with AWS make sense in the context of The Value Chain Constraint, and why Oculus and Facebook do not. Plus, why Microsoft’s approach to HoloLens 2 makes sense.
The Value Chain Constraint
Companies succeed or fail not based on technology but rather according to their ability to integrate within their value chains.
Walmart’s Earnings, Walmart’s Grocery Business, Amazon’s Grocery Stumbles
Walmart’s earning suggest that the company’s online grocery business is doing well, even while Amazon struggles. This is not a surprise, given the two companies points of integration.
Nest’s Secret Microphone, YouTube and the Pollyanish Assumption — Again, Pinterest and Anti-Vaxxers
Nest’s secret microphone shows that privacy still isn’t a priority at Google, and there is a connection to YouTube’s latest scandal. Then, what Pinterest gets right about a very hard problem.
An Update on the Battle for the Home, Apple’s Strategy Credit — and Tax, The Data Strategy Credit
An update on the Battle for the Home, and why Apple’s hesitance around data is both a credit and a tax — and the opposite for Google.
Amazon Abandons New York, The Upside of Amazon’s Decision, Waymo and Disruption
Amazon is abandoning to New York, and everyone is a loser, at least in the short term. There may, though, be upside in the lessons learned. Then, a truly excellent article about why Google may be approaching self-driving cars all wrong.
Exponent Podcast: Publishers vs Apple News
On Exponent, the weekly podcast I host with James Allworth, we discuss The Cost of Apple News. Listen to it here.
Apple News Follow-up, What Direct-to-Consumer Publishers are Selling, More on Podcasts: Supporting Cast and Kimberlite
More on why Apple News is both different than Facebook, and yet similar from a publisher perspective. Then, how publishers should think about their business — and Apple News — plus two new entrants in the podcast space.
The Cost of Apple News
Apple News is primed to offer a subscription bundle, but publishers should be wary of being Aggregated.