The annual Stratechery review of the state of technology, and call to build products that unlock human potential
OpenAI Universe and DeepMind Lab, Amazon Go
OpenAI and DeepMind released broadly similar products that speak to their different approaches, but what is most interesting from a business perspective are products like Amazon Go.
Fake News
Facebook is under fire for fake news and filter bubbles; they are a problem, but most of the proposed solutions are far worse.
Slack and the Macintosh, Microsoft Teams, Slack’s Ad
Slack made Microsoft’s Teams announcement much more exciting with a taunting ad in the New York Times, an echo of Apple’s ad welcoming IBM to the PC. That may not be the precedent that Slack wants.
Chat and the Consumerization of IT
What does the consumerization of IT even mean? Workplace by Facebook, Skype Teams from Microsoft, and Slack offer three definitions.
Oracle’s Cloudy Future
Larry Ellison has declared that Oracle is a cloud company, but their customer offering seems more suited to the world that was.
Uber’s Problematic Google Deal, Lyft’s Sales Pitch, Twitter’s Live Hail Mary
Uber took a shortcut with Google two years ago and are paying the price today, even if the wound is only temporary. Meanwhile, Lyft is costing Uber money but not strategic positioning, and seem to be marketing themselves to acquirers. Plus, mourning the end of what Twitter could be (and no, the NFL didn’t help).
Apple Watch = Health and Fitness; Apple’s Shifting Strategy; Beyond the iPhone, Continued
The Apple Watch event was on the surface about focusing on health and fitness. However, I also think it signified a shift in focus and a much clearer path to the future for Apple.
Beyond the iPhone
Apple’s event may have been lacking on the surface, but it laid the groundwork for innovations that will be revealed in time. And yes, it was courageous.
Google, Uber, and the Evolution of Transportation-as-a-Service
The competition between Uber and Google has broken out into the open: who has the advantage in the evolution of transportation-as-a-service, and who will likely win?