Apple has long defeated disruption by focusing on the user experience; Jeff Bezos and Amazon, though, show that user expectations for their experience are ever-changing.
Tech’s Person of the Year; Uber at the End of 2017; Fowler’s True Impact, and Means
Susan Fowler is tech’s person of the year, both because of her impact on Uber and on the tech industry broadly.
Gatekeepers Follow-Up, Hollywood and Venture Capital, The New York Times versus Tech
The removal of Gatekeepers should not drive the demand for new ones; then, why venture capital has a lot in common with Hollywood, which should serve as a warning. Finally, a reminder, courtesy of the New York Times, of why the Fake News campaign is dangerous.
Goodbye Gatekeepers
Harvey Weinstein was a gate-keeper — a position that existed in multiple industries, including the media. That entire structure, though, is untenable on the Internet, and that’s a good thing.
Amazon’s Second Headquarters, Amazon’s Internal Primitives, Facebook and Political Ads
Amazon is uniquely capable of having a second headquarters, and don’t be surprised if politics influences the choice of location. Then, Facebook should learn from Amazon about picking battles. Plus, a brief preview of Apple’s iPhone event.
Disney’s Choice
Cable TV created a world where differentiated content could profit from everyone; that is why it will be hard for Disney to make the choices streaming will force on them.
Microsoft/IBM Follow-Up, Facebook’s Earnings, Instagram Stories > Snapchat Stories
Follow-up on Microsoft and IBM, including why Steve Ballmer deserves more credit than I gave him. Then, Facebook’s earnings and the reluctance to admit to pricing power, and why Instagram Stories are more innovative than Snapchat Stories
Microsoft’s Monopoly Hangover
There are striking similarities between Microsoft today and IBM in the Lou Gerstner era, but today’s IBM should be a warning to Redmond.
Travis Kalanick Resigns, Uber’s Dangerous Delusion, Uber Going Forward
Travis Kalanick has resigned. His downfall came from a dangerous delusion that forgot what Uber represented; the way forward is about remembering.
Acquisitions and Network Effects, Antitrust and Network Effects, The Saga of Whole Foods
Acquisitions that make sense involve network effects; that is why the long-term future of antitrust is about network analysis (not that it will affect this deal). Plus, John Mackey’s pragmatic fit with Amazon.