It is all but impossible to beat an Aggregator head-on, as Walmart is trying to do with Amazon. The solution instead is to build a platform like Shopify.
Disney and the Future of TV
TV is moving from a world where distribution dictates business models to one where business models need to fit the jobs consumers want done. That is the best way to understand Disney’s latest announcement.
Apple’s Services Event
Apple’s Services Event generally made sense, even if most products weren’t ready to launch. It’s fair to wonder, though, if something important is being lost.
Airbnb Acquires HotelTonight, Supply Versus Demand, The HotelTonight Proposition
Airbnb has acquired Hotel Tonight, three years too late. The question is whether Airbnb wants to own a subset of the travel market, or the whole thing — and abandon its view of itself.
Netflix Follow-up, Bill Simmons Interviews Jack Dorsey, Twitter and the Pollyannish Assumption
Why there is room for multiple winners in streaming, then Bill Simmons interviews Jack Dorsey. My takeaway is that Twitter is suffering from the Pollyannish Assumption.
Netflix Flexes
Netflix is an Aggregator, with a value chain that lets it drive demand, raise prices, and dismiss competition.
AWS, MongoDB, and the Economic Realities of Open Source
Amazon’s latest offering highlights the economic challenges facing open source companies — and Amazon should pay attention.
Apple’s Errors
Apple’s management made three errors that led to the restatement of revenue; those errors, though, suggest that the company’s business is in better shape than it appears.
iPhone Classes; iPhone Growth Drivers, and Limiters; The Apple Watch
Will the iPhone XS slump like the iPhone 6S? Probably not, because theories about the iPhone 6S slump are probably wrong. Plus, the Apple Watch.
Disney and the Resilient Cable Bundle, Disney’s Streaming Plans, ESPN+ and Serie A
Disney has had a difficult three years, particularly from a stock perspective, but things aren’t as bad as feared, and there is a strategy for the future.