Introducing the Greatest Of All Talk, a new addition to the Stratechery Plus bundle. Then, more on Twitter and Microsoft/OpenAI, plus the Financial Times covers Apple and China.
Twitter Kills Third-Party Clients, Twitter’s Tortured History With 3rd-Party Apps, The Twitter Files Business Model
Twitter’s decision to kick-off third party clients is classic Musk; it also gives a signal as to Twitter’s business model focus going forward.
Twitter’s Link Ban, Network Portability, China and the Trailing Edge
Twitter’s link ban is not a new tactic to the company, or the industry, and shows where regulation goes wrong. Then, China doubles down on trailing edge semiconductor capacity.
Apple iCloud Encryption, CSAM Scanning and Convergent Encryption
Apple announced end-to-end encryption for iCloud, even as it officially abandoned its on-device CSAM-scanning approach; the details of its plan leave open the door for scanning in the cloud.
Musk vs. Apple; Advertising, App Store Review, and 30%; Google Headcount
Elon Musk vs. Apple has felt like an inevitability, and the battle was joined over advertising, App Store control, and 30% fees. Plus, Google’s money-making employee base is remarkably small.
Disney Expectations, Twitter Expectations, Silicon Valley Expectations
Bob Chapek’s failure was about managing expectations; expectations are why the perception of Musk’s tenure have switched. The ultimate impact may be on Silicon Valley as a whole.
The AI Moat Debate, Continued; Twitter’s Regulatory Risks; Twitter and Advertisers, Continued
More on Twitter, including the company’s real regulatory risk, and following-up on advertisers pulling back.
Narratives
What Elon Musk got wrong about Twitter, journalists and VCs got wrong about FTX, and Peter Thiel got wrong about crypto and AI — and why I made many of the same mistakes along the way.
Two Apple Items, Twitter Cash Flow, Twitter Versus Advertisers
Two Apple updates about ATT and China, then, more on Twitter’s cash flow situation, and Elon Musk discovers that freedom is often structural
An Interview with Eugene Wei About Streaming and Social Media
An interview with Eugene Wei about streaming and social media, including Netflix, TikTok, Twitter, and why the first wave of social networks were a fundamental mismatch with human nature.