Stripe: Platform of Platforms

Stripe’s announcement of Treasury — banking-as-a-service — manifests the breadth of the company’s ambition.

Apple and Facebook

Apple and Facebook seem like they are in conflict, but have often been each other’s best partners.

Tech’s Two Philosophies

Google and Facebook represent one philosophy, and Microsoft and Apple represent another; tech needs both, but ultimately platforms are more important than aggregators.

Amazon’s New Customer

The key to understanding Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods is to understand that Amazon didn’t buy a retailer: the company bought a customer.

From Products to Platforms

Apple was at its best in its most recent keynote: unveiling the sorts of products the company is uniquely capable of creating. The question, though, is whether the company has the vision and capability of making those products into platforms.

The AWS IPO

AWS has long been a question mark when it comes to Amazon: it’s a good idea, and it makes money, but like it’s parent company, will it ever be profitable? The revelation that AWS is already very profitable indeed is a really big deal both for AWS but also for Amazon itself.