The situation in the U.S., particularly in the Seattle area, is likely worse than it appears; Microsoft and Amazon should take action. Then, the U.S. needs to rely on the private sector, and publishers need to remember why people pay.
Ben Thompson
COVID-19 Cancellations; Apple, China, and Data; What We (Might) Know
Tech companies are starting to cancel event and unnecessary travel as the coronavirus starts to spread in the United States and Europe. This is the correct decision, even if most economic activity should probably carry on.
Exponent Podcast: Scale Scale Scale
On Exponent, the weekly podcast I host with James Allworth, we discuss Email Addresses and Razor Blades. Listen to it here.
An Interview with Bill Bishop of Sinocism about COVID-19, U.S. China Relations, and Media Entrepreneurship
An Interview with Sinocism’s Bill Bishop about COVID-19, U.S.-China Relations, and media entrepreneurship in the dotcom bubble and today.
Bob Iger Steps Down From Disney, Why Now?, Why Bob Chapek?
It was a huge surprise that Bob Iger was stepping down as Disney’s CEO, but the rationale makes a lot of sense, as does the timing and replacement.
Email Addresses and Razor Blades
The fate of Harry’s and other DTC companies, particularly relative to companies like Credit Karma, highlight how the Internet elevates the importance of demand over supply.
Morgan Stanley Acquires E*Trade, Intuit Reportedly Acquiring Credit Karma, User Acquisition and Market Power
Morgan Stanley acquired E*Trade, and Intuit is reportedly acquiring Credit Karma; both are about improving customer acquisition, but the competitive impacts differ.
Exponent Podcast: Competing with Spotify and Regulating Acquisitions
On Exponent, the weekly podcast I host with James Allworth, we discuss The Daily Update Podcast and First, Do No Harm. Listen to it here.
Apple’s Investor Warning, Foxconn’s Investor Warning, An Interview with Dan Wang
Apple issued its second revenue warning in two years, and while the circumstances were very different, both were about China. Then, Foxconn is diversifying — will that speed up? Plus, an interview with Dan Wang about supply chains in China.
The Rationale Behind the Daily Update Podcast, Podcasts and Email, Spotify and the Three Bens
An explanation of the strategy undergirding the Daily Update Podcast, how the implementation fits into that strategy, and how Spotify’s podcast strategy impacts Stratechery’s approach.