Concepts

Subscriptions

  • 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.


  • Changes at HBO, AT&T’s Strategic Rationale, HBO’s Differentiation

    There are changes afoot at HBO, driven by AT&T’s desire to compete with Netflix; that, though, risks HBO’s differentiation.


  • The Cost of Apple News

    Apple News is primed to offer a subscription bundle, but publishers should be wary of being Aggregated.


  • Spotify’s Podcast Aggregation Play

    Spotify is making a major move into podcasts, where it appears to have clear designs to be the sort of Aggregator it cannot be when it comes to music.


  • The BuzzFeed Lesson

    The lesson of BuzzFeed is that dominant Aggregators like Facebook have no incentive to act against their self interest and support suppliers.


  • China Blocks Bing; Tencent, China, and Apple; Atlassian Earnings

    China blocks Bing, which raises more questions for the most successful foreign service provider in China: Apple. Then, Tencent gets some games approved, and how Atlassian and Netflix are similar.


  • Netflix Flexes

    Netflix is an Aggregator, with a value chain that lets it drive demand, raise prices, and dismiss competition.


  • AWS, MongoDB, and the Economic Realities of Open Source

    Amazon’s latest offering highlights the economic challenges facing open source companies — and Amazon should pay attention.


  • 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)


  • More on Amazon’s “HQ2”, Two New Paywalls, Subscription Fatigue?

    More details are out about Amazon’s site selections, including a 3rd city. Then, two new sites have paywalls, but the paywalls are different in important ways. Plus, why I think “subscription fatigue” both is and isn’t a thing.