An interview with Brex co-founder and co-CEO Pedro Franceschi about what makes Brex unique, why it is pushing into software, and what drove its decision to cut off a big portion of its customer base.
An Interview with Ramp Founder Eric Glyman
An interview with Ramp founder Eric Glyman about Ramp and the historic underpinnings of the fintech industry.
Stripe: Platform of Platforms
Stripe’s announcement of Treasury — banking-as-a-service — manifests the breadth of the company’s ambition.
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.
Justice Department Sues to Block Visa Plaid Acquisition, Plaid’s Potential, Scalability and Antitrust
The Justice Department gets it right again with another lawsuit, this time against Visa’s acquisition of Plaid.
Morgan Stanley Acquires E*Trade, Intuit Reportedly Acquiring Credit Karma, User Acquisition and Market Power
Morgan Stanley acquired E*Trade, and Intuit is reportedly acquiring Credit Karma; both are about improving customer acquisition, but the competitive impacts differ.
Visa, Plaid, Networks, and Jobs
The history of credit cards helps explain why Plaid is valuable to Visa, and how Visa can make it significantly better.
More on Chrome and AMP, The Case Against Google, Decentralization and Paradigm Shifts
More on Chrome and AMP, and what The Case Against Google gets wrong about Microsoft. Then, why decentralized networks are aggregator kryptonite.
Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash, TL;DR: The Bitcoin Paradox, Uber-Softbank Deal
Bitcoin versus Bitcoin Cash looks like a pump-and-dump deal; that, though underscores the paradox underlying Bitcoin’s value. Then, Uber and Softbank reach a deal that will reflect the fact Uber didn’t kill Lyft.
Gatekeepers Follow-Up, Hollywood and Venture Capital, The New York Times versus Tech
The removal of Gatekeepers should not drive the demand for new ones; then, why venture capital has a lot in common with Hollywood, which should serve as a warning. Finally, a reminder, courtesy of the New York Times, of why the Fake News campaign is dangerous.