Didi Kuaidi, Ola, GrabTaxi, and Lyft are teaming up against Uber. Most are focused on Lyft, but they’re the least interesting part of this deal. Meanwhile, why is anyone surprised that Tencent would compete “unfairly”, plus, Tiger Capital hedges its bets.
Beyond Disruption
Clayton Christensen claims that Uber is not disruptive, and he’s exactly right. In fact, disruption theory often doesn’t make sense when it comes to understanding how companies succeed in the age of the Internet.
Marriott Acquires Starwood, Online Travel Agents and Aggregation, Surviving as an Incumbent
The impact of the Internet continues to reverberate: in this case, there is a clear link between Aggregation Theory and the tie-up between Marriott and Starwood.
Grantland and the (Surprising) Future of Publishing
ESPN’s decision to close Grantland seems to be more evidence that there is no future outside of massive scale or one-man operations. Bill Simmons’ recent successes, though, suggest that the answer could be the exact opposite.
Chase Pay and the Payments Stack, Apple Pay and Opportunity Cost, Applying Aggregation Theory
There’s another new payments solution coming — Chase Pay. The punchline is easy: it will fail. Why it will fail, though, is interesting, and it shows the opportunities and challenges for Apple Pay specifically and the usefulness of Aggregation Theory.
Twitter’s Moment
Twitter has had a rough stretch, and most are pessimistic about its chances. I was previously, but I think the upside is looking much brighter than it did before this week.
Are Ebooks Declining, or Just the Publishers?, Oyster Goes Out of Business, Media Notes
A follow-up on e-book publishing, and why there is so much dispute about just how many e-books are sold.
Disconfirming Ebooks
Aggregation Theory would seem to argue that ebooks are destined to dominate the publishing industry. However, that is decidedly not happening; understanding why is a powerful tool to make the theory better.
Ballmer’s Bad Bundle Economics, Netflix Loses Epix Movie Deal
The Daily Update is back with a renewed focus on streaming, bundling, and over-the-top offerings. First up is an analysis of Steve Ballmer’s rumored plans to launch an over-the-top network for Clippers games, and more broadly, a discussion about why bundling works. Then, Netflix loses movies, but it’s the content companies that are losing more from a lack of alignment.
Aggregation and Antitrust, BuzzFeed Makes News, BuzzFeed’s Valuation in Perspective
The differing approaches to antitrust in the U.S. and Europe could mean completely different outcomes in the long run for aggregation companies. Meanwhile, BuzzFeed has raised a new round and seems to be doing better than ever, which is great news for journalism. Plus, how to think about startup valuations.