More on Netflix’s earnings, and why it won’t give back pandemic gains. Then, Elastic follows MongoDB’s example.
Daily Update
Archive of Daily Emails for Stratechery Members
Intel Follow-up, Qualcomm Buys Nuvia, Netflix Earnings
That Intel is built to be integrated is precisely the problem, why Qualcomm bought a CPU team, and Netflix controls its own destiny.
The WhatsApp Kerfuffle, Comparing Messaging Services, Network Effects
Some number of people are downloading alternative messaging apps after WhatsApp changed its privacy policy; Facebook’s problem is a narrative one, not a factual one.
Two Crises, Tech’s Costs, Looking Forward
Too much tech power has been an impending crisis for years; that doesn’t change just how costly the crisis was. Then again, centralization might yet win.
Facebook and Twitter Suspend Trump, Parler Suspended Everywhere, Context and Culture
Facebook and Twitter ban Trump; Apple, Google, and Amazon ban Parler; this wasn’t an ideal solution, but it was a uniquely American one.
Facebook and Apple, Continued; Facebook’s iOS 14 Changes; Georgia and Tech
Facebook made major changes to accommodate Apple’s iOS 14 policies, probably because Apple leveraged their control of the App Store to give them no choice. Then, the implications of the Georgia outcomes for tech.
Substack and the Media, The Substack Opportunity, Substack’s Business Challenges
Substack is a threat to the media, but its business prospects are threatened by the same forces threatening all of media.
Holiday Break: Weeks of December 21st and December 28th
Stratechery is on holiday the weeks of December 21st and December 28th; the next Daily Update will be on January 4. The full Daily Update posting schedule is here. All new subscribers since November 23, 2020, will have two weeks added to their subscriptions to guarantee one full month of Daily Updates.
Google Sued by States, Ranking the Cases, Fantasy Basketball and Silver Linings
Google’s many antitrust cases, ranked! Plus, one small way that COVID is pushing one group of friends into the future.
Context Collapse, Circles and Timing, Facebook’s Missing Platform
The ideas behind Social Networking 2.0 are not new, but the Idea Adoption Curve takes time. Plus, how Facebook missed its platform chance a decade ago.