Slack lost to Microsoft head-to-head, but has smartly shifted to a horizontal strategy that the vertically-oriented Microsoft can’t match.
India Bans Chinese Apps, The App Store Firewall, Reddit and The Donald
India is banning Chinese apps, in a reminder that nations still matter; China knows the more than anyone. Then, why centralized App Stores make this easier, and why Reddit is a reminder that infrastructure matters.
Never-Ending Niches
The Internet changed how media competes to focus and quality, but quality is defined by your niche.
Twitter and Trump, YouTube and China, Facebook and Polarization
Twitter fact-checks Trump, YouTube censors Chinese words, and Facebook reportedly declines to police polarization.
Media, Regulators, and Big Tech; Indulgences and Injunctions; Better Approaches
Blaming Facebook and Google for the media industry’s trouble inevitably leads to bad regulations with unintended consequences and the end of accountability for big tech.
Dithering and Open Versus Free
Announcing the new Dithering podcast, and why it is important to fight for the open ecosystem that Spotify is trying to aggregate.
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.
Amazon Cuts Affiliate Marketing, Google Versus French Publishers, Streaming Services and Movies
Amazon cutting affiliate fees, Google versus French publishers, and movie studios seeking to sell to Netflix are all examples of the same trend: you must own your relationship with your customers.