Twitter and Snap both had encouraging earnings, for reasons that were both similar and also unique to each company and their history. Perhaps there is hope for consumer tech companies after all — and maybe Facebook and Google aren’t so bad.
The Snap Partner Summit, Snap’s Announcements, Vision Versus Execution
Snap’s announcements at its Partner Summit signaled a new strategy that makes a lot of sense. The company, though, needs to show that it can execute.
Mark Zuckerberg’s Proposal, The Copyright Directive and Sunk Costs, You Say You Want Some Regulation
Recent regulation highlights why Mark Zuckerberg’s call for regulation was so self-serving. The place where regulators should actually start is advertising.
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.
Where Warren’s Wrong
Senator Warren’s proposal about how to regulate tech is wrong about history, the source of tech giant’s power, and the fundamental nature of technology itself. That doesn’t mean there aren’t real problems — and potential solutions — though.
Facebook’s Privacy Cake
Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement of A Privacy-Focused Vision for Social Networking is not some dramatic pivot: it is a growth opportunity for Facebook and a challenge for regulators.
Nest’s Secret Microphone, YouTube and the Pollyanish Assumption — Again, Pinterest and Anti-Vaxxers
Nest’s secret microphone shows that privacy still isn’t a priority at Google, and there is a connection to YouTube’s latest scandal. Then, what Pinterest gets right about a very hard problem.
Facebook Versus Apple: Background, Facebook Versus Apple: Fallout, Facebook’s Earnings
The full context of Facebook’s dispute with Apple, why the former was wrong, yet why Apple’s actions are just as problematic. Then, Facebook beats expectations with results that aren’t a surprise.
The BuzzFeed Lesson
The lesson of BuzzFeed is that dominant Aggregators like Facebook have no incentive to act against their self interest and support suppliers.
Netflix Follow-up, Bill Simmons Interviews Jack Dorsey, Twitter and the Pollyannish Assumption
Why there is room for multiple winners in streaming, then Bill Simmons interviews Jack Dorsey. My takeaway is that Twitter is suffering from the Pollyannish Assumption.