Why I’m not worried about Spotify, plus Apple’s earnings, including why the M1 might be helping margins.
April 2021
Spotify’s Surprise
Spotify’s new subscription podcast offerings embrace the open ecosystem of podcasts in multiple ways.
Basecamp’s New Policy, Basecamp Versus Silicon Valley, Stripe Changes Vesting Schedule
Basecamp is banning politics at work, which is very much in-line with Basecamp’s bigger critique of Silicon Valley. Then, Stripe stops acting like a startup.
Netflix Earnings, Competition and Buybacks, Sony Signs Netflix Deal
Netflix grew more slowly than it expected because it had fewer hits than it expected; then, Sony is winning in streaming by not playing.
App Stores in Congress, Apple’s Arguments, Meta Points
Apple and Google had a difficult time defending their App Store policies in the face of developer complaints and a well-informed committee.
Podcast Subscriptions vs. the App Store
Apple’s new Podcast Subscription service is what the App Store should be: a great Apple experience competing for customers.
Facebook’s Audio Announcements, Facebook and Creators
Facebook made a host of “coming soon” announcements around audio, and laid out a compelling vision for creators that is limited by Facebook’s fundamental nature.
The European Super League, Apple Music’s Letter to Artists
The European Super League is an interesting example of power in value chains; then, how streaming services determine artist payouts.
Clubhouse Enables Creator Payments, Artists and Cultists, An Interview with Nathan Hubbard
More on the power of creators, and then an interview with Nathan Hubbard about Taylor Swift and the future of music.
Nvidia Grace, GPU Use Cases, ARM and Integration
Nvidia’s database CPU is not a challenger to Intel; it is the vision undergirding it that is the real threat.