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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An Interview with Cursor Co-Founder and CEO Michael Truell About Coding With AI
An interview with Cursor founder and CEO Michael Truell about AI coding and capturing the critical point of integration in the AI value chain.
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Airbnb’s New App, Experiences and Services, Chesky’s Founder Mode
Airbnb has a new app with new offerings for experience and services; I’m not sure the economics make sense for either.
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Google Loses Ad Antitrust Case, Market Definitions and Tying, The Trinko Exception
Google lost its ad antitrust case; if the case is upheld, it has important implications for all Aggregators.
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YouTube TV, Wiz, and Why Monopolies Buy Innovation
Google could aggregate TV, but it might not have the product capability; that’s a convoluted way of explaining why buying Wiz is a good idea
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An Interview with Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi About Aggregation and Autonomy
An interview with Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi about taking over Uber in crisis, managing dynamic marketplaces, and the value chain for autonomous vehicle ride-sharing.
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An Interview with Zillow CEO Jeremy Wacksman About Evolving Strategy
An interview with new Zillow CEO Jeremy Wacksman about Zillow’s evolving strategy over the years, and how home buying is changing as the agent market faces momentous shifts.
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Friendly Google and Enemy Remedies
The DOJ brought the right kind of case against an Aggregator, which stagnates by being too nice; the goal is for companies to act like they actually have enemies.
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Apple and the OpenAI Board, Microsoft and the OpenAI Board
Both Apple and Microsoft are leaving their board observer positions with OpenAI; Apple should have never been there in the first place, while Microsoft is probably focused on escaping regulatory scrutiny.