Follow-up on Instagram, TikTok, and the Three Trends, including questioning the “cool” thesis of social networks, and why China’s Internet vision is winning.
Instagram, TikTok, and the Three Trends
Trends in medium, AI, and user interaction underpin Instagram’s response to TikTok, and will determine Meta’s long-term moat.
Apple and Facebook’s Pre-ATT Negotiations, Timing and Documentation, ATT’s Impact
The Wall Street Journal fills in important details about the run-up to ATT, including negotiations between Apple and Facebook. Then, ATT denials don’t hold water.
Meta Earnings, Reasons for Optimism, Meta Changes
Meta’s earnings, reason for optimism, and the company’s changing moats
Snap Earnings, Instagram Versus the Kardashians
Snap’s earnings were bad on the surface, and worse in the details; there may, though, be some good news for Meta, both in terms of advertising and also the evolution of Instagram.
The Uber Files, Musk Tries to Dump Twitter, Musk and the Hero Paradox
Uber raises philosophical questions about ends versus means; Elon Musk’s actions with Twitter raise similar questions.
Zero-COVID and Free Speech
Zero-COVID is possible, but few of us in the West are willing to pay the costs; the exact same reasoning applies to free speech; in both cases China-lite is the worst possible strategy.
Snap Revenue Warning, Snap’s Direct Response Bifurcation, Broader Takeaways
Snap’s revenue warning, and a closer examination of past earnings, point to a business that is much more driven by brand advertising than it is by direct response
An Interview with Eric Seufert About the Post-ATT Landscape
An interview with Eric Seufert about the post-ATT landscape, including Facebook, Shopify, Google, YouTube, Apple, and the future of ad agencies.
Musk, Twitter, and Bots; Bot Experience; Bot Science
Elon Musk may be trying to renegotiate his Twitter deal by citing bots; all available evidence suggests that Twitter’s number is not only accurate, but conservative.