Succeeding in scooters may require vertical integration, why Airbnb should go deeper into hotels, and why AT&T is making a mistake with Friends (or are they)
Aggregators and Jobs-to-be-Done
Aggregators succeed by being the best at doing the jobs consumers want done.
Apple App Store Follow-up, AWS ARM Servers, Intel’s Choice
More on Apple’s App Store monopoly, including why it’s different from Google and Steam, and far more egregious than other digital platforms. Then, Amazon announced ARM chips for AWS: what changed, and what does this mean for Intel.
Antitrust, the App Store, and Apple
Apple’s case before the Supreme Court is about standing; Apple has a strong case. That, though, doesn’t mean the App Store isn’t a monopoly — and that Apple isn’t increasingly predicated on rent-seeking.
Amazon’s Reported RSN Bid, The Future of Sports Rights, Apple in the Supreme Court
Amazon probably isn’t buying 22 RSNs; sports rights don’t really make sense for streaming services. Then, Apple is in the Supreme Court in a case that is hugely important for the entire tech industry.
Spotify’s Earnings; Spotify, Supply, and Acquiring Marginal Customers; Spotify’s Research and Development
Spotify’s earnings point to a disturbing trend of the company needing to spend to acquire marginal customers; this makes sense because the company does not have power over supply
The Conflation of Consumer Welfare with Antitrust, More Panel Notes, Google to License Play Store in Europe
Thoughts and notes from the FTC discussion on digital platform and competition, plus how Google’s remedy in Europe will mean more of the same when it comes to Android.
Data Factories
Facebook and Google and other advertising businesses are data factories, and regulation will be most effective if it lets users look inside
Apple’s iPhone Event, Facebook Fact-Checking, Vimeo Pivots Again
A preview of Apple’s iPhone event, a revelatory controversy about Facebook fact-checking, and yet another pivot by Vimeo thanks to mistakes made years ago
Spotify and the Labels, Labels and Aggregation, Newspapers and Texture
Spotify and the labels are at odds, largely because the latter don’t understand their competitive environment. Then, Apple is trying to build the news bundle.