Apple’s shift in differentiation shows how Intel went wrong; then, more notes on the M1, including Microsoft’s mysterious absence.
Apple’s Shifting Differentiation
Apple is about the integration of hardware and software, but the balance between the two has shifted over time.
Disney and Integrators Versus Aggregators
Disney’s reorganization reinforces their integrated strategy; there is a lot to learn for anyone competing with Aggregators.
Nvidia’s Integration Dreams
Nvidia’s acquisition of ARM only makes sense from a financial perspective, unless you buy Jensen Huang’s datacenter dreams.
The Slack Social Network
Slack lost to Microsoft head-to-head, but has smartly shifted to a horizontal strategy that the vertically-oriented Microsoft can’t match.
Chips and Geopolitics
TSMC showed the power of modularization, and now they are core to the U.S. national security strategy.
The Anti-Amazon Alliance
Google Shopping is changing its model, suggesting Google is joining the Anti-Amazon Alliance; 3rd-party merchants should do the same.
Facebook Invests in Jio Platforms, The Building of Jio, Understanding the Deal
Jio showed how the best way to serve the poor is to create a market for them, not simply give them charity like Facebook tried to do with Free Basics. That is why it makes sense for them to work together.
Email Addresses and Razor Blades
The fate of Harry’s and other DTC companies, particularly relative to companies like Credit Karma, highlight how the Internet elevates the importance of demand over supply.
Clayton Christensen Passes Away, Professor Christensen and I, Kobe Bryant and Measuring Your Life
There is no greater influence on Stratechery than Professor Clayton Christensen, but it is another death — Kobe Bryant’s — that reminds me of what truly matters.