Owning Customer Relationship
Companies that win in the Internet era do so by owning the customer relationship, which gives them power over suppliers.
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Amazon Health doesn’t seem like much now, but there are hints it could be the ultimate application of Aggregation Theory.
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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.
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The Internet has removed scarcity, meaning business models based on controlling distribution are no longer viable. Instead, the key to success is controlling access to the best customers — and that means being the best.
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More on Scooters; Airbnb and Hotels; Netflix, AT&T, and Friends
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)
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Spotify 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
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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.