Unity’s merger with ironSource makes lots of sense, plus more on live sports and the Internet, and tough questions raised by Elon Musk and Uber
The Uber Files, Musk Tries to Dump Twitter, Musk and the Hero Paradox
Uber raises philosophical questions about ends versus means; Elon Musk’s actions with Twitter raise similar questions.
Tech Under Biden, Prop 22 Passes, Uber’s Missed Monopoly
It appears that Vice President Biden will win, and that Republicans will hold the Senate, which is the best possible outcome for big tech. Plus, Prop 22 saves Uber, and also hurts it.
Uber Acquires Postmates; DoorDash Optimism; TikTok, Apple, and Hong Kong
Uber acquires Postmates, which makes me bullish about DoorDash. Then, TikTok invokes Shakespeare.
Uber + Grubhub?, Aggregator Acquisitions, Uber and Lime
An Uber acquisition of GrubHub makes all kinds of sense, but for the same reasons that it will be frowned upon by regulators (and for good reason). Then, Uber’s investment in Lime makes sense as well.
Amazon Just Walk Out, Waymo Raises $2.25 Billion
Amazon Go is licensing its technology, contrary to my previous prediction. Then Waymo is taking on outside investors which should result in a needed shift in incentives.
Lime Leaves 12 Cities; Scarcity Amongst Abundance; An Update on Apple, Trump, and Encryption
Scooter companies appear to be struggling, which is not a surprise; still, it is an excuse to re-visit assumptions around ride-sharing in comparison, and an generalizable principle about Aggregation Theory. Plus, an update on Apple versus the FBI.
Neither and New Follow-Up, Adam Neumann Forced Out, Peloton IPOs
Why Neither/New companies are different than traditional marketplaces, how Vision Fund’s flaws led to Adam Neumann being forced out, and why Peloton has a big opportunity it might not see.
Neither, and New: Lessons from Uber and Vision Fund
Uber represents something new: a company that is different than incumbents because of technology, yet not itself a tech company — just like the Venture Fund is not a VC.
AB 5, Uber, and the Gig Economy; The ABC Test; What Comes Next
California has passed a new bill, AB 5, that may have a big impact on Uber, Lyft, and other similar companies, but only if it survives court and ballot challenges. The unintended consequences could be huge.