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Latest Podcast

Ben Thompson

  • Curation and Algorithms

    More and more companies are announcing new products based on human curation, even as the most important content players — Google and Facebook — rely on algorithms. When does curation make sense, and when are algorithms better? And ultimately, who is responsible for both?

  • YouTube Gaming, Network Defensibility, The Applicability of Metcalfe’s Law

    YouTube Gaming is taking on Twitch, which raises a number of interesting questions: is YouTube Gaming like Google+, and if not, why not? Will it succeed, or should Google have simply bought Twitch? Also, a fascinating paper about Metcalfe’s Law and when and where it applies.

  • Taylor Swift v Apple

    Eddy Cue is dancing again, but this time it’s figuratively and the tune is provided by Taylor Swift. Seventeen hours after Swift decried Apple’s plan to not compensate artists for songs played during the Apple Music demo period Apple changed course. What can be learned, and what does this say about Apple Music — and about…

  • Exponent Podcast: In Aggregate

    On Exponent, the weekly podcast I host with James Allworth, we discuss Unicorns. Listen to it here.

  • Twitter Lightning, Twitter’s Communication Problem, Buzzfeed’s New News App

    Word is out about Lightning, a new Twitter feature that lets people dip in and out of current events. It’s a great move. The question, though, is why talk about it now? The timing highlights a big communication problem. Also, BuzzFeed News’ new app, and the importance of notifications to its future monetization.

  • Unicorns Follow-up; Uber, Contractors, and Employees; Microsoft and the End of the Ballmer Era

    This Daily Update follows up on my Unicorns article by pointing out how the behavior of most late-stage investors is totally rational. Then, a discussion about a recent decision by the California Labor Commission that one Uber driver is an employee, not a contractor, and a translation of Microsoft’s latest reorganization.

  • Unicorns

    There are a lot of unicorns, but not all unicorns are created equally: even if some die the value of them in aggregate is significant.

  • Evernote Seeking New CEO, E3 and the End of Exclusives, Playstation Vue’s “A La Carte” Offering

    In a shocking — but perhaps not surprising — announcement Evernote CEO Phil Libin said the company would be seeking a new CEO. How well is Evernote doing, and will they ever become a private company? E3 Day Zero was also yesterday, and while Sony in particular had some compelling announcements for an old guy like…

  • Uber in China, Didi Kuaidi Raising $1.5 Billion, China Scale and Apple Maps

    It seems that Uber is doing far better in China than expected. How is the company succeeding where other western companies have failed, and is their success sustainable? Plus fundraising news from Uber’s biggest competitor, and some amazing numbers about China’s scale.

  • Exponent Podcast: An Exhausting Week

    On Exponent, the weekly podcast I host with James Allworth, we discuss Dick Costolo stepping down as CEO of Twitter, Apple’s seeming war on Google, and the concerning launch of Apple Music. Listen to it here.