The fiasco surround the Iowa caucuses is an occasion to learn three lessons: what is a tech company, technology is hard, and why Facebook is like Microsoft.
2020
Google Earnings, YouTube and Google Cloud, Google’s Falling Margin
Google finally released new financial information about YouTube and Google Cloud, but it is still not sufficient. Then, Google’s margins are falling just like Facebook’s: is the engine finally sputtering?
Facebook’s Platform Opportunity
Facebook is under pressure from all sides, but that actually means it has an opportunity to build the platform it has always wanted — in digital ads.
Exponent Podcast: It’s Been a Week
On Exponent, the weekly podcast I host with James Allworth, we eulogize Professor Clayton M. Christensen. Listen to it here.
Epic Systems and Electronic Health Records, Aggregators and Data Portability, Epic’s Privacy Objections
Epic Systems, an electronic health records company, is protesting a mandate that they make consumer health care available via API. Their arguments highlight the tension between interoperability and privacy.
Apple’s Earnings, Slowing Services Growth, Apple and the Coronavirus
Apple’s surging iPhone sales and slowing services growth suggest that lots of iPhone customers are upgrading. It’s a testament to how strong Apple’s position is that revenue it misses now it catches later.
The Tragic iPad
The iPad is 10, and while it remains a useful device, it is ultimately a disappointment. Apple lost the vision for what the iPad could be, and never gave space for developers to figure it out for them.
Clayton Christensen Passes Away, Professor Christensen and I, Kobe Bryant and Measuring Your Life
There is no greater influence on Stratechery than Professor Clayton Christensen, but it is another death — Kobe Bryant’s — that reminds me of what truly matters.
Netflix Earnings; Self-Production, Cash Flow, and Margin; Netflix’s New Rung
Netflix’s earnings were mostly more of the same, but management’s comments helped explain an interesting connection between cash flow and margin, and showed how Netflix has evolved again.
iCloud Backups and Encryption; Facts, Principles, and Concerns; Determining Defaults
More encryption news, this time about how Apple holds the keys to iCloud backups. I think this approach strikes the right balance: privacy exists, particularly if you work for it, while acknowledging legitimate societal concerns.