BuzzFeed’s relative scale problem, and why venture capital doesn’t make sense for content, because the future is niche. Plus, important follow-up on Bing and Atlassian.
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.
CES and the Unification of Computing and Consumer Electronics, Google Assistant and Integration, The Modular Competition
Google Assistant has a structural advantage when it comes to the user experience of digital assistants, which should influence the strategies of Amazon and Apple.
Netflix’s Earnings, Netflix’s Marketing Choice, Additional Notes on Netflix
Netflix’s earnings had both good news (subscribers) and bad news (spend); the latter might signal a positive shift in how the company acquires customers. Plus, how Netflix is integrating.
AMD and Modularity Follow-Up, Trump and Tech, Tech’s Vulnerability
The problem with AMD’s modularity approach; then, Trump attacks tech. The claims are baseless but that hardly means the industry is in the clear.
Uber Follow-up; GlobalFoundries Abandons 7nm; Pricing Power, Differentiation, and Integration
Not all of Uber’s efforts are new, but the urgency is. Then, there are only three foundries pursuing 7nm, which means more pricing power (and how this applies to Uber and self-driving cars).
Tencent’s Profit Drops, China Freezes Game Approvals, The Tencent Behemoth
Tencent’s profit dropped, in part because the Chinese government has stopped approving games. Plus, why Tencent’s approach to the games industry makes sense in China, even if Facebook’s model may be more attractive.
Intel and the Danger of Integration
Intel is in an increasingly bad position in part because it has been captive to its integrated model. Or, you could simply say they were disrupted.
Zillow, Aggregation, and Integration
Zillow fits the description of an aggregator, but it hasn’t transformed its industry due to a lack of integration. Now it is trying to do exactly that.
The Aggregator Paradox
Google is winning with AMP and blocking ads in Chrome: both seem bad, but aren’t they actually good for consumers? That is the paradox of aggregation.