Just because Tesla is achieving an Apple-like brand doesn’t mean they will have Apple’s success: the hard part starts now. Plus, why SuperChargers are a big deal. Then, Medium for Publishers is Medium’s play to own the long tail of publishing, and it’s very exciting in what it enables.
Snapchat Follow-up; WeChat, Facebook Messenger, and iMessage; Microsoft’s Bot Parade
Some follow-up on Snapchat, where it fits alongside Facebook Messenger and iMessage, then a discussion of where all the “bot” talk is coming from. Then, Microsoft jumped all in on bots: what does it mean, and what should they do next.
Snapchat’s Ladder
Snapchat is on the verge of conquering the toughest messaging market in the world: the United States. The way they did it is by laddering-up.
Sundar Pichai’s Greatest Achievement To-Date, The VR Era Begins, Facebook Versus Oculus
The Oculus Rift officially launches today, and will be followed soon by the HTC Vive and the Sony PlayStation VR. I’m optimistic about virtual reality, but I still don’t understand why Facebook is involved: the company should learn from Google and Android.
Dropbox Leaves AWS, Should UPS and Fedex Be Afraid?
In an inconvenient bit of timing Dropbox announced they were leaving AWS just as I was singing its praises; in fact the storage company’s decision reinforces the benefits AWS provides. Then, why Amazon’s move into logistics makes sense, and how it might play out.
The Amazon Tax
Amazon is building a lot of businesses that look like AWS: taxes on major industries that work to everyone’s benefit. The reason, though, is that AWS is a lot like Amazon itself.
WeWork Now Worth $16 Billion, Google Joins Open Compute Project
My attempt last summer to justify WeWork’s $10 billion valuation is looking pretty good, but I’m not sure I can pull off the trick for $16 billion. Plus, the brilliant strategy of Facebook’s Open Compute Project
Microsoft SQL Server to Run on Linux, Box’s Great Quarter
Windows is truly dead at Microsoft, as SQL Server will soon run on Linux. Meanwhile, Box had a great quarter, underlying the fact that SaaS economics work — and what happened to Windows Server helps explain why.
More on Bitcoin, Samsung and Designing Software, The Problem with Holacracy
More on Bitcoin and the fundamental problem with the project, plus my thoughts on the blocksize question. Then, Samsung still can’t nail software, and the problems with Holacracy.
Bitcoin and Diversity
First, an exploration of the block size debate that is roiling the Bitcoin world, and then how lessons from that debate apply to diversity in tech.