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.
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.
Zillow Changes CEOs, An Interview with Zillow CEO Rich Barton
Zillow has changed CEOs, which makes sense given the change in the company’s business model. Then, an interview with new CEO and Zillow co-founder Rich Barton.
The Value Chain Constraint
Companies succeed or fail not based on technology but rather according to their ability to integrate within their value chains.
Walmart Earnings, Walmart’s Grocery Business, Amazon’s Grocery Stumbles
Walmart’s earning suggest that the company’s online grocery business is doing well, even while Amazon struggles. This is not a surprise, given the two companies points of integration.
Google “Other Bets” Follow-up, Angela Ahrendts Out at Apple, Microsoft Earnings
Does Angela Ahrendts’ departure from Apple signify a pivot in retail? Then, Microsoft’s earnings highlighted how the company has benefited from its focus on being a horizontal company.
More on Scooters; Airbnb and Hotels; Netflix, AT&T, and Friends
Succeeding in scooters may require vertical integration, why Airbnb should go deeper into hotels, and why AT&T is making a mistake with Friends (or are they)
Apple’s Social Network
Apple’s decision to stop reporting unit sales is defensible; the company, though, should provide more data to support its new growth story.
Sears Files for Bankruptcy, Sears’ Spinoffs, Value in the Age of the Internet
Sears has (finally) filed for bankruptcy, thanks to a business model that was obsolete well before the Internet came along. Still, there are lessons to be learned from the Sears businesses that continue to succeed.
Zillow, Aggregation, and Integration
Zillow fits the description of an aggregator, but it hasn’t transformed its industry due to a lack of integration. Now it is trying to do exactly that.