Christopher Mims’ piece Uber’s $18.2B Valuation Is a Head Scratcher is getting a lot of play, and deservedly so: it’s a good encapsulation of many people’s objections to Uber’s recent round that valued the company at $18.2 billion. However, I think Mims is wrong. I would argue he: Dramatically underestimates Uber’s potential market Undervalues Uber’s […]
WWDC Expectations
Update: bumping to the top of the page Beyond the usual updates of iOS and OS X, there are two significant rumors about what Apple might unveil next week at WWDC. The first is Healthbook, as detailed by Mark Gurman here and here. The second is Apple’s plan for a smart home, first reported by […]
Microsoft Cloud Announcement, Cordova and Windows RT, Xbox Silliness
Good morning, I went deep on Apple’s (alleged) acquisition of Beats, yet in some ways, I’m not sure I went deep enough. One thing I was trying to capture is that there is a very benign explanation for this acquisition: Beats solves a lot of problems for Apple. And maybe that’s all it is. Still,Subscribe […]
Apple Retail and the Innovator’s Dilemma
Angela Ahrendts officially took over as head of Apple Retail last week, and just in time. Same store sales were down five percent last quarter, and have been hovering around zero for several quarters prior. To be fair, that decline is mostly due to Apple’s slowed growth; more concerning is the declining rate of store […]
Twitter’s Marketing Problem
Twitter achieved product-market fit too easily, preventing the company from figuring out exactly what it was.
The Problem with Payments
Payments are one of the eternal tech rainbows,1 enticing startups and established companies alike with the promise of priceless data and incredible volumes. Many who dive in, though, like Google with Wallet, find it’s incredibly tough going. Square, for example, is burning through cash and may be acquired whether they want to be or not. […]
Don’t Give Up on the iPad
When people think about the first iconic Apple product, it’s probably the Macintosh that leaps to mind. But Apple Computer was actually built on the back of the Apple II. In fact, for quite a long while it was the Apple II that provided the profits that made the Macintosh possible, as Guy Kawasaki recounts: […]
Daily Update (2014-04-24): Apple Earnings, Capital Structure; Facebook Earnings
Good morning, In case you missed it yesterday, you can now access the Daily Email on the web and through your private RSS feed. Let me know if you have any trouble getting this set up. I also sent a separate email to Access members and Annual Daily Update members asking you to resubmit yourSubscribe […]
Apple and Nike
What kind of company is Apple, anyway? They certainly have great technology, but to call them a technology company doesn’t seem quite right. They have great marketing, but to call them a marketing company isn’t true either. They have an incredible retail chain, but to call them a retailer is clearly off base as well. […]
Two Bears, Revisited
One of the more annoying aspects of the late great PC area was how review sites treated Macs: for all intents and purposes, they were just another PC. Consider this CNET review of the 2007 MacBook Pro:1 The good: Updated CPUs and graphics without an updated price; LED-backlit display for better battery life; 802.11n support. […]