Substack is a threat to the media, but its business prospects are threatened by the same forces threatening all of media.
Disney’s Investor Day, Disney+ as Harvester, Disney’s Optionality
Disney’s investor day showed the power of differentiated IP and optionality.
WarnerMedia to Stream Movies First Day, AT&T Versus HBO, Self-Disruption
WarnerMedia’s move to stream all of its movies on HBO Max appears to be value disruptive, but if the company is actually meaningfully responding to disruption, that was inevitable.
More on the App Store, Hard Mode Follow-Up, Airbnb’s Complicated Costs
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.
Playing on Hard Mode
Airbnb and DoorDash both created new markets where ones did not previously exist; they are startups played on “hard” mode.
Intel’s Disruption, Intel vs. Apple, Additional Notes on the M1
Apple’s shift in differentiation shows how Intel went wrong; then, more notes on the M1, including Microsoft’s mysterious absence.
Apple’s Shifting Differentiation
Apple is about the integration of hardware and software, but the balance between the two has shifted over time.
Is the Internet Different?
A response to a critique of Aggregation Theory, and a defense of debate on an Internet devoid of gatekeepers.
Twilio Acquires Segment, What is Segment, An Interview with Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson
Why Twilio bought Segment, and an interview with Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson
The iPhone 12 Event, iPhone Pro Differentiation, Additional Notes
Apple’s iPhone 12 introduction was surprising, not necessarily because of the iPhone 12, but because of what Apple chose to focus on.