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.
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.
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.
Apple Card Launches, Without a Website; Revisiting Stratechery: If Steve Ballmer Ran Apple
Apple Card launched without a website, which suggests something fundamental about Apple’s nature. Then, revisiting a Stratechery article from six years ago.
Walmart’s E-Commerce Struggles, Textbook Disruption, The Benefits of Not Competing
Walmart is struggling in ecommerce for very predictable reasons; the company — and economy — is better off leveraging its assets and not competing directly with Amazon.
Google Cloud Changes CEOs, Layers of Surprise (or Not), The VMWare Analogy
Google Cloud has a new CEO: the news is a surprise at first glance, but may make more sense than it seems. To understand why, look at VMWare, outgoing Google Cloud CEO Diane Greene’s most famous startup.