SideCar feels that Uber was unfair, but the truth is the company didn’t understand that product matters more than technical expertise. Plus, why Twitter doesn’t have an natural acquirers, and several other tidbits from this week.
Twitter 10,000, The Problem with Links, The Business of Expanded Tweets
News leaked yesterday about Twitter’s plans to allow expanded tweets, something that was seemingly confirmed by Jack Dorsey. This is a move that is only natural, but the business implications are perhaps deeper than people have considered.
Twitter Follow-up, Nintendo’s Conundrum
Some follow-up and clarification on yesterday’s piece on Twitter’s advertising business, plus a rumination on where exactly Nintendo is going as a company.
Twitter’s Opaque Earnings, Twitter’s Misaligned Advertising Business, Twitter’s New Ad
Twitter’s earnings were concerning, and the explanation on the earnings call was opaque. What exactly is going on, and what is the company trying to hide?
Twitter Suspends Accounts Over GIFs, SnapChat Shuts Down Snap Channel, More on Moments
Twitter suspended a couple of accounts for tweeting sports highlights GIFs. First a bit about the issue at hand, and then a bigger picture look at what this says about Moments, if anything. Then, Snapchat is getting out of original programming, which is a great sign. Finally, what the future of Moments should look like.
Twitter’s Moment
Twitter has had a rough stretch, and most are pessimistic about its chances. I was previously, but I think the upside is looking much brighter than it did before this week.
Jack Dorsey Named Twitter CEO, The Problem With Daily Fantasy
It took only a few hours for the first concerning response to the announcement of Jack Dorsey as CEO, and it came from his old adversary Ev Williams. Then, Daily Fantasy has a real scandal on its hands, but the implications of that scandal are the opposite of what most think about Daily Fantasy.
Features and Networks, Tesla Model X Pricing Revealed, Consumer Reports and the Tesla P85D
I linked to a piece yesterday suggesting that Twitter abandon the 140-character limit: do I agree? Or is that missing the point entirely? Then, the Internet goes nuts about the Model X price without taking the time to understand why it is so expensive; meanwhile the latest Model S shows that Tesla isn’t necessarily making cars.
The Case for Jack Dorsey, Twitter CEO
For years Twitter has prioritized advertisers and revenue over users and product. The problem is that the latter begets the former, but not the other way around. Product must come first, which means Jack Dorsey should be Twitter’s CEO.
The Best Twitter Day Ever, The End of Windows Phone
Something amazing happened on Twitter that really highlighted how unique the service is. It also showed how many product holes remain. Then, Satya Nadella does what needed to be done. That doesn’t make it any less impressive.