For years Twitter has prioritized advertisers and revenue over users and product. The problem is that the latter begets the former, but not the other way around. Product must come first, which means Jack Dorsey should be Twitter’s CEO.
The Best Twitter Day Ever, The End of Windows Phone
Something amazing happened on Twitter that really highlighted how unique the service is. It also showed how many product holes remain. Then, Satya Nadella does what needed to be done. That doesn’t make it any less impressive.
Summer Update, Slack Strong, The Dropbox Cautionary Tale
Slack has more numbers out, and while from a certain perspective the company still seems small, a step back reveals just how significant the opportunity is. Still, nothing is guaranteed, and Dropbox happens to offer a very useful cautionary tale.
Curation and Algorithms
More and more companies are announcing new products based on human curation, even as the most important content players — Google and Facebook — rely on algorithms. When does curation make sense, and when are algorithms better? And ultimately, who is responsible for both?
Twitter Lightning, Twitter’s Communication Problem, Buzzfeed’s New News App
Word is out about Lightning, a new Twitter feature that lets people dip in and out of current events. It’s a great move. The question, though, is why talk about it now? The timing highlights a big communication problem. Also, BuzzFeed News’ new app, and the importance of notifications to its future monetization.
Dick Costolo Out as Twitter CEO, Costolo’s Key Shortcoming, Twitter’s Next CEO
Dick Costolo is out as Twitter’s CEO, a shocking but unsurprising outcome. This update examines why he had to go, as well as why this week’s Twitter product announcements expose the biggest shortcoming of his tenure. Finally, I examine the necessary qualities for Twitter’s next CEO and who might make sense.
Daum Kakao Buys Path, Amazon’s Funnel, More from Mary Meeker
Messaging apps are great examples of the power of funnels, and of how difficult they are to build. Meanwhile, Amazon expands and leverages theirs, plus my five favorite Mary Meeker slides.
Google Launching Buy Button, Instagram’s E-Commerce Possibilities, Pinterest’s Challenges
This daily update analyzes the news that Google will launch a buy button for some mobile searches, and in that context moves to a discussion of e-commerce on Instagram and Pinterest.
Cisco’s Results — and Future, Tencent’s Advertising Shift
Today’s update discusses how Cisco has seemingly responded to the threat of software-based networking, but why the future is more cloudy than outgoing CEO John Chambers thinks. Then, Tencent is slowly diversifying their business model, and it’s a big opportunity.
Verizon-AOL, Facebook Instant Articles, and the Future of Digital Advertising
Two seemingly unrelated stores — Verizon buying AOL. and Facebook offering publishers the option of Instant Articles — are actually very much connected: advertising online is undergoing a fundamental shift, and while there will be a few big winners, there will be a lot more losers.