Google A/I suggests that AI is a sustaining innovation for all of Big Tech; that means the real battle will be between incumbents and Big Tech on one side, and open source on the other.
AI and the Big Five
Given the success of existing companies with new epochs, the most obvious place to start when thinking about the impact of AI is with the big five: Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft.
Adobe Acquires Figma, Figma’s Disruption, The Figma OS
Adobe’s acquisition of Figma is about the long-term shift in the design value chain; it paid so much because there was no other reason for Figma to sell.
Akamai Buys Linode, Akamai’s Strategy, Cloudflare and Disruption
Akamai’s acquisition of Linode makes lots of sense, even if Linode’s customers won’t be happy. The real winner, though, is Cloudflare.
Cloudflare’s Disruption
Cloudflare’s new storage offering is potentially disruptive both economically and strategically.
AWS CloudFront Functions, AWS’s Data Residency Whitepaper, Muddles and Mirages
AWS’s responses to Cloudflare are still predicated on an assumption of centralizaion; the truth is in the middle, and the status quo is powerful.
Cloudflare on the Edge
Cloudflare is uniquely positioned to become a major player in an Internet 3.0 world, where politics matter more than economics.
Intel Problems
Intel is in much more danger than its profits suggest; the problems are a long time in the making, and the solution is to split up the company.
Intel’s Disruption, Intel vs. Apple, Additional Notes on the M1
Apple’s shift in differentiation shows how Intel went wrong; then, more notes on the M1, including Microsoft’s mysterious absence.
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.