Tencent’s profit dropped, in part because the Chinese government has stopped approving games. Plus, why Tencent’s approach to the games industry makes sense in China, even if Facebook’s model may be more attractive.
Daily Update
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Facebook Stories Follow-up, Twitter and Newton’s Third Law
History suggests that Stories will be an advertising success; then, the Alex Jones episode shows how un-monopoly-like social networks are.
MoviePass, Finally; Value Chains and Unit Costs; Atlassian and Slack
Finally, the MoviePass breakdown so many have been asking for; then, another story to catch-up on, about Atlassian, Slack, and leadership.
Uber Loses in New York City, The Modern Medallion?, Driver Pay Floors
New York City has enacted a moratorium and pay floor on ride-sharing services. Uber may be losing its political power, and the effects could be wide-ranging.
Patreon Acquires Memberful, An Interview with Patreon CEO Jack Conte and Memberful CEO Drew Strojny
An interview with Patreon CEO Jack Conte and Memberful CEO Drew Strojny on the occasion of Patreon acquiring Memberful, the membership software used by Stratechery. This Daily Update is free for everyone.
Sonos’ IPO, The De-Integration of Sonos, Spotify’s Earnings
Sonos will begin trading today, but it faces a tough road without meaningful integration. Spotify faces a difficult road too: it is interesting to think about what they would look like together (even though it won’t happen).
Apple’s Earnings, ASP and “New” iPhones, Steve Jobs and the App Store
Apple’s earnings not only held true to form, but actually had an upside surprise in ASP. Plus, what an interview with Steve Jobs reveals about differentiation and integration.
Android-EU Follow-Up, Google’s Earnings, Facebook and the Stock Market
Follow-up on Google’s EU decision, and a reminder that Google really good for consumers. Then, Google’s strong quarterly results, and why the understanding Facebook’s strategic advantages may be divorces from their stock price.
Another Congressional Hearing, The Genesis of Section 230, The Battle over Section 230
Section 230, which shields Internet companies from liability, is getting more attention: the only attention it should get is as a model for other regulations.
Netflix Earnings, Netflix’s Rising CAC, Content and Marketing
Netflix’s subscriber numbers were disappointing; does the company have a customer acquisition cost problem? Then again, customer acquisition costs should include content, which might not have been good enough.