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.
Antitrust, the App Store, and Apple
Apple’s case before the Supreme Court is about standing; Apple has a strong case. That, though, doesn’t mean the App Store isn’t a monopoly — and that Apple isn’t increasingly predicated on rent-seeking.
Spotify Earnings; Spotify, Supply, and Acquiring Marginal Customers; Spotify’s Research and Development
Spotify’s earnings point to a disturbing trend of the company needing to spend to acquire marginal customers; this makes sense because the company does not have power over supply
Spotify and the Labels, Labels and Aggregation, Newspapers and Texture
Spotify and the labels are at odds, largely because the latter don’t understand their competitive environment. Then, Apple is trying to build the news bundle.
Sonos’ IPO, The De-Integration of Sonos, Spotify 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).
Scooter Follow-up, Microsoft and the Xbox, Spotify Signs Indie Acts
Scooter follow-up, then why the future of gaming may be very good for Microsoft. Plus, why Spotify’s new distribution agreements are not a big deal for now, but point to a positive future.
Spotify’s New Hate Policy, Twitter’s Behavior Policy, YouTube Music and YouTube Premium
Spotify’s new hate policy and Twitter’s behavior policy seem like good things at first glance, but what they suggest about the companies’s power is worrisome. Plus, YouTube’s subscription plans are as confusing as ever.
The Moat Map Follow-up; Uber, YouTube, and Spotify; The Public Cloud and Scale
More on The Moat Map, and how it applies to Uber, YouTube, Spotify and the public cloud.
Spotify Earnings, Spotify’s Free Plan and Hulu Partnership, Snap Earnings
Spotify’s earnings were not what the market expected, but the company gained credibility. Snap, meanwhile, doesn’t have any credibility at all.
Spotify Debuts; Trump, Amazon, and the USPS; The Politics of Amazon
Spotify debuts, and I really want to be bullish, but it’s hard. Then, Trump might have a point about Amazon, but it’s moot: the company should be defended.