Casper is a tech-enabled company, but so are its many competitors. Trying to win with brand is difficult in a market defined by infrequent purchases. Spotify, meanwhile, is seeking to expand the podcasting market beyond companies like Casper.
Neither and New Follow-Up, Adam Neumann Forced Out, Peloton IPOs
Why Neither/New companies are different than traditional marketplaces, how Vision Fund’s flaws led to Adam Neumann being forced out, and why Peloton has a big opportunity it might not see.
WeWork Delays IPO, Datadog Prices IPO, SoftBank and Going Big
WeWork abandons its IPO, for now, and is likely at the mercy of Softbank. Then, why Datadog is set to have a great IPO, in direct counter to WeWork and a direct rebuke to Softbank’s approach.
Privacy Fundamentalism Follow-up, Peloton’s S-1, Peloton and Disruption
Answering two criticisms of Privacy Fundamentalism, and then looking at Peloton’s S-1 and answering the question as to whether or not they are a tech company through the lens of disruption.
Why WeWork Isn’t AWS and the CEO Problem, Cloudflare’s S-1, Contrasting S-1s
The comparison of WeWork to AWS shouldn’t be taken too far, because software is different. Look no further than Cloudflare’s IPO. Plus, leadership matters.
The WeWork IPO
The WeWork IPO is defined by audaciousness and excess, all of which is driven by unlimited access to capital.
Uber’s Rocky IPO, What Went Wrong, The Perils of Private
What went wrong with Uber’s IPO, and why the trend to stay private longer is problematic for everyone involved.
Microsoft, Slack, Zoom, and the SaaS Opportunity
The Zoom and Slack IPOs show what Microsoft is missing in its growth story: a way to acquire new customers.
Uber Questions
Uber’s S-1 raises more questions than it answers
Pinterest S-1, Zoom S-1, The Enterprise-Consumer Flip-Flop
Pinterest’s S-1 shows why too much funding can be bad for startups, while Zoom’s S-1 shows the benefits the come from being great. That, by extension, is a result of the enterprise and consumer markets flip-flopping.