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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Big Ten Blame
The Big Ten’s recent expansion is being blamed on Fox and ESPN, but it is actually an example of content extracting maximum value through consolidation
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Aggregation Follow-up, Netflix’s Ad Partners
Follow-up to Spotify, Netflix, and Aggregation, and why brand advertising makes sense for Netflix.
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Spotify, Netflix, and Aggregation
The original definition of Aggregation Theory emphasized the importance of commoditized supply; that makes Spotify more of an Aggregator than Netflix
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An Interview With Babylist Founder and CEO Natalie Gordon
An interview with Babylist founder and CEO Natalie Gordon about Babylist’s founding, her growing ambition, and why the company is a shining example of Aggregation Theory in action.
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Substack Launches App, Substack and the Four Bens, In-App Purchase and the Substack Bundle
Substack launched an app, which isn’t a surprise given their VC model, but which portends change all the same.
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Distribution and Demand
Distribution on the Internet is free; what matters is controlling demand. AT&T and Verizon didn’t understand the distinction.
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The FTC’s Google Documents, The Staff Memo, The Economists Memo
Revisiting the FTC’s decision in 2013 makes me doubtful that a case would have made much of a difference.