Apple’s App Store changes are genuinely a good deal for small publishers, and make me feel more favorable about the entire business. Then, Airbnb’s costs, particularly marketing, are too hard to understand.
Disney and Integrators Versus Aggregators
Disney’s reorganization reinforces their integrated strategy; there is a lot to learn for anyone competing with Aggregators.
IBM Splits, IBM Skepticism, IBM and Antitrust
IBM is splitting itself up, and while it makes sense, it is an admission of failure. It’s also a lesson for regulators.
More Facebook Leaks, The Problem With Groups, The Substack Moment
More Facebook leaks, which show both the upside and downside of Mark Zuckerberg’s control; then, Substack is gaining famous writers, but its success will rest with whoever is next.
Netflix and Working-From-Home; Parents Versus Non-Parents; Apple’s COVID Manufacturing, Cont.
Reed Hastings doesn’t like working from home, and other companies, particularly Facebook, should pay attention to its unintended consequences. Plus, how Apple is making new iPhones.
Rethinking the App Store
Assume that Apple is going to win versus Epic: what is a reasonable approach to the App Store that will gain more developer support?
Facebook’s Earnings, Apple’s Ad Exception, Facebook’s Headwinds
Facebook’s earning highlighted the resiliency of its business, but also its vulnerability to Apple. It now appears that Apple is going after Facebook revenue directly.
Uber Acquires Postmates; DoorDash Optimism; TikTok, Apple, and Hong Kong
Uber acquires Postmates, which makes me bullish about DoorDash. Then, TikTok invokes Shakespeare.
Zoom’s “Genuine Oversight”, Zoom’s Strengths and Weaknesses, Virality Versus Network Effects
Zoom has another screwup, this time in terms of reporting how many users it has. It is a disturbing pattern and a reminder that strengths are weaknesses.
The iPhone SE, Accounting for the iPhone SE, New iPhones
The new iPhone SE inspires a revisit to Apple’s low-end strategy, which may simply be a matter of accounting. Then, Apple may be launching new iPhones despite the coronavirus.