Jio has two big obstacles to success; then, while most didn’t pay attention to Google Cloud Next, the progress Thomas Kurian is making is impressive.
TikTok and Quibi, TikTok and Shopify, TikTok Complications
Quibi — and Shopify! — explain why TikTok is so successful. As always, though, the TikTok story is complicated by the Chinese connection.
Platforms in an Aggregator World
Facebook Shops are good for Shopify merchants, but bad for Shopify; the answer is to push more into the real world.
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.
Shopify Shop, Shopify’s Reason to Exist, Google’s Earnings
Shopify launched the Shop.app, which is not only a poor experience but also makes no sense strategically. Then, Google’s earnings show how big tech is going to get even stronger.
An Interview with Eugene Wei About the Half-Life of Information
In this Daily Update Interview Eugene Wei and I explore the idea of the half-life of information, and what that means for the value of Netflix, YouTube, Disney, and more.
An Interview with Matthew Ball About Disney and Bob Iger
An interview with Matthew Ball about Bob Iger’s exit; Disney, Netflix, and streaming; and how metaverses are digital theme parks.
Email Addresses and Razor Blades
The fate of Harry’s and other DTC companies, particularly relative to companies like Credit Karma, highlight how the Internet elevates the importance of demand over supply.
Brandless Closes, The DTC Facebook Challenge, DTC Versus Softbank
Brandless is closing down, which is being spun into a commentary on Softbank. This is fair, but the bigger takeaway is about DTC broadly.
Spotify Earnings, Podcasts and Lifetime Value, The Ringer Acquisition
Spotify’s mixed earnings, why podcasts are uniquely valuable to the company, and where The Ringer fits in.