Apple was never in a position to respond to WeChat, just as Microsoft couldn’t respond to Google. Then, Chromebooks win in education for more reasons than cost.
Apple’s China Problem
Apple had mixed earnings: most of the world was great, but China was bad again. The reason is that in China WeChat matters more than iOS.
The New York Times Versus Uber, Uber Versus Apple, Apple Versus Tencent
The New York Times has a story about Uber and Apple that had a fundamental flaw and lacked context; then, Apple won this round against Tencent, but this is a battle to watch
Microsoft, eBay, and Tencent Invest in Flipkart; The Indian E-Commerce Market; Lyft Raises $500 Million
Microsoft, eBay, and Tencent are investing in Flipkart: the opportunity is just too big to miss out on, even if Amazon looks ever stronger. It’s the same reason investors are putting more money into Lyft.
Is AWS a Commodity?, Chat App Updates: WeChat, Facebook, and Google
The conventional wisdom is that AWS is a commodity, but that only makes sense in the context of the old world. Then, Google tries to catch up to Facebook which tries to catch up to WeChat which is leaping ahead.
A Word on Tesla, Follow-up: The Big Picture, Tencent Acquires Supercell
Tesla offering to buy Solar City is why corporate governance matters. Then, a follow-up to yesterday’s piece on TV and why there is something much bigger going on, and why Tencent bought Supercell
Twilio Files for IPO, Building Infrastructure, Mary Meeker’s Internet Trends 2016
An overview of Twilio’s IPO and the role of infrastructure, and then my favorite slides from Mary Meeker’s Internet Trends deck.
Snapchat Follow-up; WeChat, Facebook Messenger, and iMessage; Microsoft’s Bot Parade
Some follow-up on Snapchat, where it fits alongside Facebook Messenger and iMessage, then a discussion of where all the “bot” talk is coming from. Then, Microsoft jumped all in on bots: what does it mean, and what should they do next.
Slack Follow-up, The WeChat Platform, Uber and Facebook Messenger
More on Slack’s platform opportunity, which can be compared to what WeChat has already accomplished in China. That said, the fact way that China is truly mobile-first means that it’s likely that no one — including Facebook Messenger — will fully imitate WeChat’s model.
The Anti-Uber Alliance, WeChat Blocks Uber, Tiger Capital Invests in Uber
Didi Kuaidi, Ola, GrabTaxi, and Lyft are teaming up against Uber. Most are focused on Lyft, but they’re the least interesting part of this deal. Meanwhile, why is anyone surprised that Tencent would compete “unfairly”, plus, Tiger Capital hedges its bets.