Disney’s earnings were predictably brutal, particularly for its Parks Division, which is the most important division when it comes to understanding Disney. Plus, AMC has nothing to lose.
Ben Thompson
Zoom’s “Genuine Oversight”, Zoom’s Strengths and Weaknesses, Virality Versus Network Effects
Zoom has another screwup, this time in terms of reporting how many users it has. It is a disturbing pattern and a reminder that strengths are weaknesses.
Apple Earnings, Amazon Earnings
Apple’s Earnings show the stabilizing factor of services and the upside of China; Amazon’s earnings show that supply constraints make forecasts easy.
Facebook Earnings, Auction Dynamics, Full Steam Ahead
Facebook earnings demonstrated the power of its auction-based direct-response model; what makes it different from Google is Zuckerberg’s drive.
Shopify Shop, Shopify’s Reason to Exist, Google’s Earnings
Shopify launched the Shop.app, which is not only a poor experience but also makes no sense strategically. Then, Google’s earnings show how big tech is going to get even stronger.
The Anti-Amazon Alliance
Google Shopping is changing its model, suggesting Google is joining the Anti-Amazon Alliance; 3rd-party merchants should do the same.
More on Apple and Google, Germany Versus Apple, Facebook’s Surveys
More evidence that Apple and Google are dictating terms to governments; then, it is possible that Facebook’s approach to discovering outbreaks has the most promise.
Capability and Policy Revisited; Isolation and Surveillance; Netflix’s Earnings
Once tech companies have the capability to do what government’s tell them to, they are increasingly willing to comply; that is not a good sign for increased surveillance. Then, Netflix is cautious about its huge earnings.
Facebook Invests in Jio Platforms, The Building of Jio, Understanding the Deal
Jio showed how the best way to serve the poor is to create a market for them, not simply give them charity like Facebook tried to do with Free Basics. That is why it makes sense for them to work together.
How Tech Can Build
Marc Andreessen has written (another) seminal essay: It’s Time to Build. What does that mean for tech and venture capital?