There are changes afoot at HBO, driven by AT&T’s desire to compete with Netflix; that, though, risks HBO’s differentiation.
The Value Chain Constraint
Companies succeed or fail not based on technology but rather according to their ability to integrate within their value chains.
The Cost of Apple News
Apple News is primed to offer a subscription bundle, but publishers should be wary of being Aggregated.
Spotify and Podcasts Follow-up, Apple and Podcasts, Luminary and Himalaya
More on podcasts, including why I’m cautiously optimistic, plus Apple’s missed opportunity, and why I’m skeptical of startups in the space.
BuzzFeed Followup, The Future is Niche, Atlassian and Bing
BuzzFeed’s relative scale problem, and why venture capital doesn’t make sense for content, because the future is niche. Plus, important follow-up on Bing and Atlassian.
Netflix Follow-up, Bill Simmons Interviews Jack Dorsey, Twitter and the Pollyannish Assumption
Why there is room for multiple winners in streaming, then Bill Simmons interviews Jack Dorsey. My takeaway is that Twitter is suffering from the Pollyannish Assumption.
Netflix Flexes
Netflix is an Aggregator, with a value chain that lets it drive demand, raise prices, and dismiss competition.
Facebook Stats, Facebook’s Data Sharing, Facebook Politics
The latest Facebook exposé in the New York Times raises questions as to why no one cared previously. The question today, though, is a political one.
More on Scooters; Airbnb and Hotels; Netflix, AT&T, and Friends
Succeeding in scooters may require vertical integration, why Airbnb should go deeper into hotels, and why AT&T is making a mistake with Friends (or are they)
Aggregators and Jobs-to-be-Done
Aggregators succeed by being the best at doing the jobs consumers want done.