More and more companies are announcing new products based on human curation, even as the most important content players — Google and Facebook — rely on algorithms. When does curation make sense, and when are algorithms better? And ultimately, who is responsible for both?
Twitter Lightning, Twitter’s Communication Problem, Buzzfeed’s New News App
Word is out about Lightning, a new Twitter feature that lets people dip in and out of current events. It’s a great move. The question, though, is why talk about it now? The timing highlights a big communication problem. Also, BuzzFeed News’ new app, and the importance of notifications to its future monetization.
Dick Costolo Out as Twitter CEO, Costolo’s Key Shortcoming, Twitter’s Next CEO
Dick Costolo is out as Twitter’s CEO, a shocking but unsurprising outcome. This update examines why he had to go, as well as why this week’s Twitter product announcements expose the biggest shortcoming of his tenure. Finally, I examine the necessary qualities for Twitter’s next CEO and who might make sense.
Media Monday: Bill Simmons vs ESPN, Spotify and the Content Hierarchy, Periscope and Piracy
Today’s Daily Update is all about the media:
– ESPN will not renew Bill Simmons’ contract, which leads into a discussion of the value of individual brands, particular writers, and how that value can best be captured
– Not all content is created equally, which helps explain Spotify’s surprising decision to diversify
– Periscope presents a unique challenge to sports in particular
Twitter Follow-up, Microsoft’s Build Keynote
Good morning, Just a reminder, there will be no Daily Update tomorrow, as I will be traveling with my family. In addition, the plan is to launch an updated design of Stratechery, along with a brand new membership system, and a Discourse-based discussion forum this coming Monday. There shouldn’t be any interruption in the dailySubscribe […]
Twitter Needs New Leadership
Yesterday Twitter released very disappointing quarterly results, with misses on both user and revenue growth. From the Wall Street Journal: Twitter Inc. delivered its weakest quarterly revenue growth as a publicly traded company, casting a shadow on its fledgling advertising business, which until now has been a consistent bright spot. Investors, who sent the company’s […]
Daily Update: Twitter Follow-up, EU Begins Antitrust Action Against Google, Is Antitrust the Answer?
Good morning, In Tuesday’s Daily Update I wrote: The big problem for Uber is that they’re a private company: as I noted last week one advantage of an IPO is that it makes a company’s shares into a powerful tool for acquisitions. Uber, though, would need to pay cash. As Marc Andreessen pointed out onSubscribe […]
Twitter and What Might Have Been
Twitter’s blog is generally a cheery place, with one big exception from 2012: the innocuously named Changes Coming in Version 1.1 of the Twitter API, and in particular, the section called “Changes to the Developer Rules of the Road” that attempted to put the kibosh on 3rd-party Twitter clients:1 If you are building a Twitter […]
Daily Update: Apple Watch’s Bad Messaging; On Meerkat, Periscope, and Bad Journalism
Good morning, There will be a new Exponent later today; James and I discussed BuzzFeed and the Brother Orange story as well as the Amazon Dash Button and Home Service. On to the longer-than-usual Daily Update. I got a little rant-y. Apple Watch’s Bad Messaging Speaking of podcasts, I was on John Gruber’s The TalkSubscribe […]
Daily Update: Was I Wrong About Cyanogen?, Weekly Wrap-Up
Good morning, I’m trying something new: a weekly wrap-up where I touch-on a few interesting stories that I didn’t have room to address more fully. But first a bit of a brain dump. On to the update: Am I Wrong About Cyanogen? I concluded yesterday’s newsletter by writing: The truth is that for normal consumersSubscribe […]