Industries
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Airbnb Losses, Airbnb and The Google Squeeze, Airbnb’s Marketing Spend
Airbnb is losing money, thanks to a big increase in marketing. It matters greatly what that marketing is for.
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The Google Squeeze
Google, the real Aggregator, is squeezing OTAs, which acted like Aggregators while depending on Google for demand. It’s easy to say Google is being unfair, but this may be better for consumers.
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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.
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The WeWork IPO
The WeWork IPO is defined by audaciousness and excess, all of which is driven by unlimited access to capital.
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Shopify Follow-up, Defining Definitions, OpenDoor Partners with Redfin
More on Shopify, including why I was reluctant to cover the previously, but now see the promise of the Internet in their model. Then, why I’m excited about being uncertain, and how Redfin and Opendoor’s partnership helps define the market in home-buying.
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Shopify and the Power of Platforms
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.
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Walmart’s E-Commerce Struggles, Textbook Disruption, The Benefits of Not Competing
Walmart is struggling in ecommerce for very predictable reasons; the company — and economy — is better off leveraging its assets and not competing directly with Amazon.
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Airbnb Eliminates Guest Fees, Airbnb’s Initial Advantage, Airbnb’s Delay
Airbnb is eliminating fees for guests, a change that is both overdue and also additional evidence that the company has been moving too slowly to secure its Aggregator position.
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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.