Commoditizing Suppliers
Aggregators, by virtue of owning demand, gain power over suppliers which become modularized and commoditized.
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The Moat Map describes the correlation between the degree of supplier differentiation and the externalization (or internalization) of a company’s network effect.
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Ride-sharing is a winner-take-all market that depends on controlling demand more than it does supply.
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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.
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Ctrip Buys Skyscanner, Ctrip’s International Potential, Airbnb Rumored to Buy Xiaozhu
There is a lot of news about the Chinese travel space, particularly Ctrip’s acquisition of Skyscanner, but given the nature of travel it is news that resonates globally.
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Wearable Follow-Up, Google’s Amazon Problem, Marriott and SPG Combine Loyalty Programs
A follow-up about wearables to remind folks that the smartphone still matters. Then, why mobile is a struggle for Google, illustrated by Amazon. Plus, Marriott and SPG are finally together, and it’s clear they (rightly) want to own the customer relationship
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Does Uber Have a Strategy Problem?, Netflix and Aggregation Theory, Google Trips
Is Uber bad at strategy? It would be understandable if they were. Then, Hollywood is finally realizing that Netflix is a textbook aggregator. Plus, why Google Trips exists
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Trouble at Lending Club, Lending Club and Aggregation Theory, What Went Wrong
FinTech seems like the perfect application of Aggregation Theory, but over this past week it has blown up in the face of serious issues at Lending Club. The mistakes that were made in do to a degree validate why I haven’t covered the space to date.
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Amazon Private Label, Facebook Audience Network Adds Video Ads
The idea of private labels aren’t new, but Amazon is uniquely positioned to profit from them. Then, the Facebook Audience Network is getting some deserved attention
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Antitrust and Aggregation
The European Commission’s antitrust case against Google is likely to be the first of many against aggregators, because the end game of Aggregation Theory is monopoly.
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Blendle Launches in the U.S., An Interview with Alexander Klöpping, Apple Pay Coming to Websites
A bit of follow-up on why the SE might not succeed in India, and then an exploration of Blendle, the new micropayments platform for news that launched yesterday, along with an interview with co-founder Alexander Klöpping. Plus, Apple Pay for websites.
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The FANG Playbook
The FANG companies — Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google — are far more similar than you might think. Their rise in value is no accident, and it is connected to Aggregation Theory.
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Netflix Goes Global, iPhone Worry
Netflix’s surprising announcement that the company was extending its service to nearly every country on earth was impressive in its execution, what it said about the company’s strategy, and it raised interesting points about Aggregation Theory and Netflix’s future opportunities. Plus, there is a lot of smoke when it comes to worries about the iPhone.