The question of “What is a tech company” comes down to how much software and its unique characteristics affects the company’s core business.
Disney’s Bundle, Huawei’s HarmonyOS, Uber’s Earnings
Disney’s bundle is compelling both for Disney and also Hulu, then Huawei’s new OS doesn’t make sense commercially but does make sense geopolitically. Plus, Uber’s earnings have been unfairly represented even as they are very concerning.
The Athletic Reaches 500,000 Subscribers, Brute-Forcing the Bundle, Local Bundles
The Athletic has 500,000 subscribers and continues to pursue growth over profitability. It’s an approach that makes sense, and the demise of local bundles helps explain why.
Netflix Earnings; Reasons for Concern, and Optimism; Apple Reportedly Pursuing Exclusive Podcasts
Netflix’s earnings are worrisome, but for predictable reasons; ultimately, the company remains in a strong position. Then, Apple’s rumored move into exclusive podcasts doesn’t make sense and is in fact good for Spotify.
Substack Raises Series A, An Interview With Substack Co-Founders Christopher Best and Hamish McKenzie
An interview with Substack Co-Founders Christopher Best and Hamish McKenzie, who recently raised a Series A to enable newsletters from Andreessen Horowitz.
HBO Max and Friends; British Airways, Marriott Hit with GDPR Fines; Zoom’s Vulnerability
HBO Max is AT&T’s new streaming service, and it is paying a lot for Friends. Then, the best part of GDPR has its intended effect, while Zoom shows that security still isn’t a priority
Microsoft, Slack, Zoom, and the SaaS Opportunity
The Zoom and Slack IPOs show what Microsoft is missing in its growth story: a way to acquire new customers.
Uber Questions Follow-up, Luminary Launches, Luminary’s Broken Rung
More on why giving information to investors often helps companies, then why Luminary, a new service for podcasters, is probably not going to succeed. Building bundles is hard!
Disney and the Future of TV
TV is moving from a world where distribution dictates business models to one where business models need to fit the jobs consumers want done. That is the best way to understand Disney’s latest announcement.
Apple’s Services Event
Apple’s Services Event generally made sense, even if most products weren’t ready to launch. It’s fair to wonder, though, if something important is being lost.