Disney’s investor day showed the power of differentiated IP and optionality.
Facebook Sued by FTC and States, The FTC’s Case, Antitrust and Politics
Facebook clearly tried to eliminate competition by acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp, but it’s not clear they were successful, which is the question that matters in a case that is ultimately about politics and power.
An Interview With Stripe President John Collison
An interview with Stripe President John Collison about Stripe Treasury, Stripe Capital, going public (or not), Stripe’s investments, and ambition.
Salesforce Acquires Slack, Salesforce’s Reasoning, Salesforce’s Opportunity
Salesforce’s purchase of Slack is a great outcome for the latter, and has huge upside for the former. There is, though, commensurate risk.
A Sixth Lesson from Dave Chappelle; Facebook and Apple, Continued; Facebook Acquires Kustomer
One more lesson from Dave Chappelle, this time about how the old order are all playing the same game. Apple seems to prefer that game, even if Facebook has helped them win at the new one.
An Interview with BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti
An Interview with BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti about BuzzFeed’s business model, acquisition of the HuffPost, and how big tech companies can fix the news.
The Idea Adoption Curve
Mapping the technology adoption curve to ideas gives insights as to which business models work on which parts of the addressable market.
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.
Spotify Buys Megaphone, Spotify’s Podcast Strategy, Spotify’s Megaphone Strategy
Spotify has acquired Megaphone, which brings clarity to its podcast advertising ambitions.