Commoditizing Suppliers
Aggregators, by virtue of owning demand, gain power over suppliers which become modularized and commoditized.
-
The Moat Map describes the correlation between the degree of supplier differentiation and the externalization (or internalization) of a company’s network effect.
-
Ride-sharing is a winner-take-all market that depends on controlling demand more than it does supply.
-
Publishers are trying to threaten Google again, apparently unaware that because of the Internet they have no power: that flows to the platforms that control discovery.
-
Shipping With Amazon, FBA Onsite, Uber and Waymo Settle
Amazon is unsurprisingly moving into logistics. It is another announcement, though, that explains the orthogonal way they are doing so. Then, Uber and Waymo settle in a win-win.
-
Fixing the Conclusion, Licensing Amazon Go and Self-Checkout, Netflix Earnings
Fixing the conclusion of Amazon Go and the Future, and why I don’t think Amazon Go’s technology is a primitive. Then, Netflix continues to be an aggregator, and other notes from the company’s earnings.
-
Amazon Go and the Future
Amazon Go exemplifies how Amazon is building its monopoly in three ways: horizontally, vertically, and financially. Plus, why automation is worth being optimistic about.
-
AT&T Pulls Out of Huawei Deal, Apple’s Other China Problem, YouTube’s Logan Paul Decision
AT&T skipped out on its deal with Huawei, reportedly under political pressure. Expect more tech issues between the U.S. and China, and Apple has the most to lose.
-
Disney and Fox
Disney’s rumored acquisition of 21st Century Fox is all about competing with Netflix; whether or not that is a good thing depends on your frame of reference.
-
Netflix Earnings, Netflix’s Price Raise, Additional Netflix Notes
Netflix had another great set of earnings that highlight the company’s sustainable differentiation. The company’s ability to raise prices does the same, as well as its clearly disruptive role.
-
Gatekeepers Follow-Up, Hollywood and Venture Capital, The New York Times versus Tech
The removal of Gatekeepers should not drive the demand for new ones; then, why venture capital has a lot in common with Hollywood, which should serve as a warning. Finally, a reminder, courtesy of the New York Times, of why the Fake News campaign is dangerous.
-
Airbnb Reportedly Building Apartments, Apple Hires New General Counsel, Uber’s Board Saga Ends
Catching up on a story that intrigues (Airbnb), a story that raises eyebrows (Apple), and another that seems to have finally reached its conclusion (Uber’s board disfunction)