The First Amendment is not about a law, but rather a culture — specifically a culture of liberty. It is essential to tech, and in this context, Facebook is mostly right about political ads (but can still do better).
HBO Max, AT&T’s Challenges, The Streaming Battleground
AT&T announced details about HBO Max, which are both safe and aggressive, and also raise questions about AT&T’s long-term stewardship. Then, why Netflix and Disney are the long-term winners.
Amazon Earnings, AWS Concerns, Google’s Earnings
Amazon’s earnings are encouraging because profits are down. Still, there is reason for concern around AWS. Then, Google’s top-line continues to impress, but the company continues to waste huge amounts of money, hurting the bottom line.
SoftBank Rescues WeWork, Owning WeWork, Zuckerberg in Congress
SoftBank is rescuing WeWork in a very strange transaction, then re-visiting what I have written about WeWork. Plus, Zuckerberg’s appearance in Congress confirmed why Libra is the wrong approach for the company.
Ghost 3.0, An Interview with Ghost CEO John O’Nolan
There is a new offering in the subscription space: Ghost. John O’Nolan, the founder and CEO of the Ghost Foundation, explains what makes Ghost unique.
Zuckerberg’s Speech, Facebook Versus China, The Structure of Free Expression
Digging into the specifics of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s speech, particularly the company’s role in a contest of values with China, and why free expression depends on more than good intensions.
Google and Ambient Computing
Google presented a vision of ambient computing that goes beyond the smartphone. The company is well-placed, but faces challenges both in the marketplace and in the mirror.
Facebook’s All-Hands Leak, Facebook Versus Warren, Zuckerberg’s Culture
The most newsworthy aspect of Facebook All-Hands leak is what its existence says about Facebook itself. What is most interesting, though, are not the comments about Elizabeth Warren but what Mark Zuckerberg showed about himself.
Neither and New Follow-Up, Adam Neumann Forced Out, Peloton IPOs
Why Neither/New companies are different than traditional marketplaces, how Vision Fund’s flaws led to Adam Neumann being forced out, and why Peloton has a big opportunity it might not see.
Day Two to One Day
Amazon.com was showing signs of being a Day Two company, including the alleged manipulation of search. There is reason, though, to be optimistic that the company has gotten back to Day One. Plus, where are the other big tech companies?