An interview with Coinbase founder and CEO Brian Armstrong about FTX, the value (or not) of crypto, and whether or not this current downturn is different.
The NYT-SBF Interview, Sharp China on China Protests and the Path to Re-Opening
No one should believe anything that SBF says: the one thing we know for sure is that FTX committed fraud. Then, Sharp China covers China’s protests and the rocky path to re-opening.
Musk vs. Apple; Advertising, App Store Review, and 30%; Google Headcount
Elon Musk vs. Apple has felt like an inevitability, and the battle was joined over advertising, App Store control, and 30% fees. Plus, Google’s money-making employee base is remarkably small.
Disney Expectations, Twitter Expectations, Silicon Valley Expectations
Bob Chapek’s failure was about managing expectations; expectations are why the perception of Musk’s tenure have switched. The ultimate impact may be on Silicon Valley as a whole.
Bob Iger Back at Disney; Chapek’s Tactics, Iger’s Strategy; Tactics, Strategy, or Environment
Bob Chapek’s tactics were downstream from Bob Iger’s strategy: if the strategy was the problem, then Disney is in trouble.
Warner Bros. Discovery and the NBA, The Zaslav Doctrine
Warner Bros. Discovery is clearly still interested in the NBA, Twitter chatter notwithstanding; then, the Zaslav doctrine about content becomes clearer.
An Interview with Midjourney Founder David Holz about Generative AI, VR, and Silicon Valley
An interview with Midjourney founder and CEO David Holz about his journey to Silicon Valley, his work on Leap Motion and VR, and the creation, business, and underlying technology of Midjourney and generative AI.
Musk’s Twitter Blue; A Twitter Subscription, Revisited; Apple Earnings
Elon Musk’s Twitter Blue proposal seems reasonable, and the company is not in as dire financial straits as reported. Then, revisiting the idea of a Twitter business model pivot, and why Apple’s services revenue is so impressive.
Meta Myths
Meta deserves a bit of a discount off of its recent highs, but a number of myths about its business have caused the market to over-react.
Chips and China
Understanding the path the semiconductor industry took to today both shows where China needs to go and also explains why the risks for geopolitical conflict are higher than ever.