Exponent

Ben and James discuss Microsoft’s reorganization, how Satya Nadella has managed the decline of Windows, and how it applies to Apple and services. Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links Ben Thompson: The End of Windows — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Stratechery 4.0 — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Services, Not Devices — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Curse of Culture — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Truth About Windows and the Mac — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Microsoft’s Monopoly Hangover — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Why Microsoft’s Reorganization Is a Bad Idea — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Redmond and Reality … Continue reading Episode 147 — There’s Always a Bigger Fish

Ben and James discuss Facebook’s current crisis, and why almost everyone misunderstands what the company did wrong: the problem isn’t advertising, it was Facebook’s desire to be a platform. Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links James Allworth: What the F*** Was Facebook Thinking — Medium Ben Thompson: The Facebook Brand — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Tim Cook’s Unfair and Unrealistic Privacy Speech — Stratechery Mark Zuckerberg’s Reckoning: ‘This Is a Major Trust Issue’ — The New York Times Ben Thompson: Mobile Makes Facebook Just an App; That’s Good News — Stratechery Nicholas Thompson: … Continue reading Episode 146 — Facebook’s Real Mistake

Ben and James discuss President Trump’s intervention in Broadcom’s takeover of Qualcomm, the problem with patents, and whether or not markets inherently overvalue short-term thinking. Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links Ben Thompson: Qualcomm,National Security, and Patents — Stratechery Dr. L. J. Hart-Smith: Out-Sourced Profits — The Cornerstone of Successful Subcontracting — Boeing Paper Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback Presented by WordPress.com

Ben and James discuss Spotify’s F-1, why Spotify isn’t Netflix, and why record companies are doing well even though they are acting sub-optimally. Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links James Allworth: Why I’m Not Going Near Spotify (and Why You Shouldn’t Either) — Harvard Business Review Ben Thompson: Lessons From Spotify — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Great Unbundling — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Could Spotify Be Netlix — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Spotify’s Increasing Power — Stratechery Daily Update Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes … Continue reading Episode 144 — 90s Alt Forever

Ben and James discuss Dropbox’s S-1 and why the company is a success but still a disappointment. Plus, why companies should go public sooner. Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links Ben Thompson: The Dropbox Comp — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Dropbox’s Cost of Revenue — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Battle of the Box — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Dropbox Leaves AWS — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Does Uber Have a Strategy Problem — Stratechery Daily Update Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter … Continue reading Episode 143 — Dilly-Dallying Dropbox

Ben and James discuss Google’s recent moves around blocking ads and promoting AMP and whether they raise antitrust questions. Plus, why Microsoft couldn’t have stopped Google, and why cryptocurrencies are aggregator kryptonite. NOTE: The previous version of this episode was not edited in the middle. There is no new content in this episode, but it should be easier to listen to. Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links Ben Thompson: The Aggregation Paradox — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Case Against Google — Stratechery Daily Update Charles Duhigg: The Case Against Google — The … Continue reading Episode 142 (Updated) — Google and Antitrust

Ben and James answer reader questions. Topics include business school, career advice, the nature of strategy, creating the next Silicon Valley, and how governments should deal with the disruptions caused by the Internet. Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links Ben Thompson: Books to Blogs — Stratechery James Allworth, Karen Dillon, and Clayton Christenson: How Will You Measure Your Life? — ClaytonChristensen.com Ben Thompson: Strategy Credit — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Apple’s Organizational Crossroads — Stratechery Jared Diamond: Guns, Germs, and Steel — W. W. Norton & Company Yuval Noah Harari: Sapiens — HarperCollins … Continue reading Episode 141 — The Mailbag Episode

Ben and James discuss Apple’s strategy of monetizing its customer base, how that explains HomePod, and whether or not it is a problem. Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links Ben Thompson: Apple’s Middle Age — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Books to Blogs — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Apple and the Oak Tree — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Lessons and Questions of the iPhone X and the iPhone 8 — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Apple is Not a Services Company — Stratechery Daily Update NOTE: Apple has taken down the supplemental financial information from Q1 2016 … Continue reading Episode 140 — The Products They Built Along the Way

Ben and James discuss Amazon’s health care announcement and why the industry is so challenging. Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase & Co. to partner on U.S. employee healthcare — BusinessWire Ben Thompson: Amazon Health — Stratechery Aaron E. Carroll: The Real Reason the U.S. Has Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance — New York Times The Best Health Care System in the World: Which One Would You Pick? — New York Times Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud … Continue reading Episode 139 — Amazon and Health Care

Ben and James discuss Amazon Go and what it says about the economics of tech and how Amazon is building multiple monopolies. Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links Ben Thompson: Amazon Go and the Future — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Amazon Tax — Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback Presented by WordPress.com

Ben and James discuss Facebook’s algorithm change, the difference between Facebook and Snapchat, and what the company’s motivations might be. Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links Ben Thompson: Facebook’s Motivations — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Mobile Makes Facebook Just an App; That’s Great News — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Facebook and the Feed — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Facebook, Phones, and Phonebooks — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Popping the Publishing Bubble — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Defining Aggregators — Stratechery Tyler Cowen: A Simple Theory of Moore’s Law and Social Media — Marginal Revolution Farhad Manjoo: It’s … Continue reading Episode 137 — Addicted to Facebook

Ben and James discuss the Meltdown and Spectre bugs and what they say about processors, technology, and even society. Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links Ben Thompson: Meltdown, Spectre, and the State of Technology — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Alexa: Amazon’s Operating System — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Arrival of Artificial Intelligence — Stratechery Nicholas Kristof: Why 2017 Was the Best Year in Human History — New York Times Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback Presented by WordPress.com

Ben and James discuss Disney’s recent history, its acquisition of Fox, Netflix’s power, and why more and more policy decisions are about choosing the worst of two options. Note: This episode was recorded on Monday, December 18, 2017. Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links Ben Thompson: Disney and Fox — Stratechery From Intel to Disney — Exponent Ben Thompson: Why Disney and ESPN Will Be OK — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Aggregation Theory — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Netflix and the Conservation of Attractive Profits — Stratechery The Netflix Backlash: Why Hollywood Fears a Content … Continue reading Episode 135 — Two Is Better Than One

Ben and James discuss why effective content moderation is so hard, how it can be done, and why it sometimes shouldn’t be. Plus, how tech optimists and tech critics make the exact same mistake. Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links Ben Thompson: The Pollyannish Assumption — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Pollyannish Assumption and Bright Lines, YouTube’s Market Power, Google vs Amazon — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Tech’s Person of the Year; Uber at the End of 2017; Fowler’s True Impact, and Means — Stratechery Daily Update The Laborers Who Keep Dick … Continue reading Episode 134 — Human Problems

Ben and James discuss the net neutrality debate and why both sides of the issue at hand involve making difficult tradeoffs; the bigger problem is broken governance. Please listen to the end! Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links Ben Thompson: Pro-Neutrality, Anti-Title II — Stratechery Ben Thompson: “Light Touch”, Cable, and DSL; The Broadband Tradeoff; The Importance of Antitrust — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Netflix and Net Neutrality — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Net Neutrality and Zero Rating — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Comcast’s Inevitable Data Caps, T-Mobile Offers Free Video, America Versus … Continue reading Episode 133 — Two Terrible Options

Ben and James discuss IPOs, including those of Stitch Fix, SendGrid, and Blue Apron, and the importance of understanding what type of company you are. Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links Ben Thompson: Stitch Fix and the Senate — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Why (Most) IPOs are Under-Price — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Waze Winners and Losers — Stratechery Ben Thompson: SendGrid IPOs — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Venture Capital and the Internet’s Impact — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Blue Apron Files for IPO — Stratechery Daily Update Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James … Continue reading Episode 132 — Successful Disappointments

Ben and James break down the differences between new market and low end disruption and how they apply — or don’t — to Apple and the iPhone. Links Ben Thompson: Apple at Its Best — Stratechery Apple’s iPhone X Parts Cost $115 More Than iPhone 8, IHS Says — Bloomberg Ben Thompson: What Clayton Christensen Got Wrong — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Beyond the iPhone — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Apple’s Organizational Crossroads — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Android Detour — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Apple and the Oak Tree — Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review … Continue reading Episode 131 — Head-on is Hard

Ben and James walk through the history of Stratechery to explain why Facebook is inescapable for a podcast about tech and society. Links Ben Thompson: Tech Goes to Washington — Stratechery John Gruber: Blackberry vs. iPhone — Daring Fireball (note: I said on the podcast this was written in 2007; it was written in 2008) Ben Thompson: What Clayton Christensen Got Wrong — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The State of Consumer Technology at the End of 2014 — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Peak Google — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Revisiting Peak Google, Again — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: More Spectacles Mea Culpas — … Continue reading Episode 130 — The 50,000 Foot View

Ben and James discuss why acquisitions should be the focus of tech regulators in the context of Facebook buying tbh today, and Instagram and WhatsApp previously. Links Ben Thompson: Why Facebook Shouldn’t Be Allowed to Buy TBH — Stratechery Marco Arment: The Impossible Dream of USB-C — Marco.org Ben Thompson: Peak Google — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Mobile Makes Facebook Just an App; That’s Great News — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Revisiting Peak Google, Again — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Defining Aggregators — Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter … Continue reading Episode 129 — The Disruption Antidote

Ben and James discuss the structure that leads to gatekeepers and abusers like Harvey Weinstein, and why it is so dangerous to accept as fact that the world was better before the Internet. Links Ben Thompson: Goodbye Gatekeepers — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Gatekeepers Follow-Up, Hollywood and Venture Capital — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: The Justin Caldbeck Affair, The Enablers — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Venture Capital and the Internet’s Impact — Stratechery Ben Thompson: In Defense of the New York Times — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Voters Decide — Stratechery As U.S. Confronts Internet’s Disruptions, China Feels Vindicated … Continue reading Episode 128 — Counterfactuals

Ben and James discuss Facebook and where both its critics and executives go wrong. It’s time for everyone to consider the worst-case scenarios. NOTE: We unfortunately had significant audio issues this week on both sides (which, by the way, had nothing to do with the cut cable referenced in the podcast ). Our apologies. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: Defining Aggregators — Stratechery This is why tech companies won’t disclose content of Russian ads — The Outline Ben Thompson: Trustworthy Networking — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Manifestos and Monopolies — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Voters Decide — Stratechery The Barriers … Continue reading Episode 127 — The Worst-Case Scenario

Ben and James discuss the development of theory, why blogs have disrupted books, and why too many in tech are too pessimistic about humanity. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: Defining Aggregators — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Aggregation Theory — Stratechery Ben Thompson: More Aggregators — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Netflix and the Conservation of Attractive Profits — Stratechery Ben Thompson: TV Advertising’s Surprising Strength — and Inevitable Fall — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Books and Blogs — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Friction — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Twitter’s Marketing Problem — Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review … Continue reading Episode 126 — Getting to the Future Faster

Ben and James discuss the different levels of aggregation, Facebook and Russian ads, and why it’s worth defending the future. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: The Super-Aggregators and the Russians — Stratechery Facebook Enabled Advertisers to Reach ‘Jew Haters’ — ProPublica Ben Thompson: Inspired Media — Stratechery James Allworth: Technology Has Become Water — Medium Sheryl Sandberg on Facebook Advertising Changes — Facebook Dollar Shave Club and the Disruption of Everything — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Everything is Changing; So Should Antitrust — Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud … Continue reading Episode 125 — The Super-Aggregators

Ben and James discuss Apple’s the cellular Apple Watch, the iPhone X and 8 markets, and whether the opening was over-the-top. Presented by MailChimp Links Episode 018: Agree to Disagree — Exponent Ben Thompson: The Lessons and Questions of the iPhone X and the iPhone 8 — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Cellular Apple Watch — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Apple Watch: Asking Why and Saying No — Stratechery Ben Thompson: What I Got Wrong About Apple Watch — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Beyond the iPhone — Stratechery Wearable Fitness Devices Don’t Seem to Make You Fitter — New York Times Ben … Continue reading Episode 124 — The Watch, The Phone, The Beatles

Ben and James discuss the why it is Ben can’t stop talking about Aggregation Theory, and the future of regulation. Presented by MailChimp Links Episode 016: Naked People (James first trip to Burning Man) — Exponent Ben Thompson: Everything is Changing; So Should Antitrust — Stratechery Ben Thompson: TV Advertising’s Strength — and Inevitable Fall — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Ad Agencies and Accountability — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Paypal’s Incentive Problem — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Aggregation Theory — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Dollar Shave Club and the Disruption of Everything — Stratechery Episode 005: The World Has Changed — Exponent Ben Thompson: Antitrust and … Continue reading Episode 123 — There Is No Going Back

Ben and James discuss the Theory of the Conservation of Attractive Profits, Intel, Netflix, and how it all applies to Disney. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: Disney’s Choice — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Disney Follow-up — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Aggregation Theory — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Netflix and the Conservation of Attractive Profits — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Truth about Windows Versus the Mac — Stratechery Ben Thompson: ESPN: From Franchise to Business — Stratechery Daily Update Warren Buffett: 1991 Letter to Shareholders — Berkshire Hathaway Ben Thompson: Netflix Goes Global — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Correction the Netflix … Continue reading Episode 122 — From Intel to Disney

Ben and James discuss Benchmark’s lawsuit against Uber and Cloudfare’s ban of Daily Stormer. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: The Uber Dilemma — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Venture Capital and the Internet’s Impact — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Apple and the Oak Tree — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Waymo’s Lawsuit Against Uber — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Does Uber Have a Strategy Problem? — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Crisis at Uber — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Cloudfare and Daily Stormer — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Facebook Content Guidelines — Stratechery Daily Update Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, … Continue reading Episode 121 — The Uber Mutation

Ben and James discuss the European Commission’s antitrust ruling against Google and the challenges of antitrust in a world governed by Aggregation Theory. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: Ends, Means, and Antitrust — Stratechery Episode 005: The World Has Changed — Exponent Ben Thompson: Antitrust and Aggregation — Stratechery Press Release — European Commission Fact Sheet — European Commission Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback Presented by MailChimp

Ben and James discuss Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods, when acquisitions make sense, and the potential future of antitrust law. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: Amazon’s New Customer — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Acquisitions and Network Effects, Antitrust and Network Effects, The Saga of Whole Foods — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: The Amazon Tax — Stratechery Tom Foster: The Shelf Life of John Mackey — Texas Monthly Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback Presented by MailChimp

Ben and James discuss the business of podcasting specifically and advertising generally, and why Apple’s recent changes will have less of an effect than people think. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: Podcasts, Analytics, and Centralization — Stratechery Episode 082: A Podcast About Podcasts — Exponent Ben Thompson: Aggregation Theory — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Patreon’s Update — Stratechery Daily Update Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback Presented by MailChimp

Ben and James discuss Apple’s WWDC keynote, playing to your strengths, and privacy that matters. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: Apple’s Strengths and Weaknesses — Stratechery IAMA Foxconn insider with information on next 12 months of hardware updates — Reddit Ben Thompson: Apple’s Organizational Crossroads — Stratechery How Apple’s Siri Lost Her Mojo — Wall Street Journal Zac Cichy on Apple and Privacy — Twitter Ben Thompson: Strategy Credit — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Tim Cook’s Unfair and Unrealistic Privacy Speech, Strategy Credits, The Privacy Priority Problem — Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information … Continue reading Episode 117 — Fruitful Clapping

Ben and James discuss myths, culture, and blockchains — and yes, bubbles. NOTE: The original version had a corrupted file. Our apologies. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: Tulips, Myths, and Cryptocurrencies — Stratechery Abhishek Chakravarty: The Product Manager’s guide to the Blockchain — Medium Yuval Noah Harari: Sapiens Fred Ehrsam: Blockchain Tokens and the dawn of the Decentralized Business Model — Coinbase Blog Greeks are Rushing to Bitcoin — CNN Facebook accused of targeting ‘insecure’ children and young people, report says — Mashable Ben Thompson: The Cost of Bitcoin — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Selling Feelings — Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, … Continue reading Episode 116 — Blockchain Beauty Contest

Ben and James discuss Google I/O, the importance of business relative to technology, and why Uber is in trouble. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: Boring Google — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Google’s Go-to-Market — Stratechery How Uber and Waymo Ended Up Rivals in the Race for Driverless Cars — New York Times Ben Thompson: Does Uber Have a Strategy Problem? — Stratechery Daily Update Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback Presented by MailChimp

Ben and James discuss why figuring out a new model means abandoning the old, this time in the context of newspapers and news. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: The Local News Business Model — Stratechery Jim Rutenberg: Ad Buyers Have a Say in Whether Real News Survives — New York Times Ben Thompson: Wikitribune — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Why BuzzFeed is the Most Important News Organization in the World — Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback Presented by MailChimp

Ben and James discuss how leverage shifts in a value chain, why WeChat is so powerful in China, and why that is a problem for Apple. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: Apple’s China Problem — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Messaging: Mobile’s Killer App — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Slack and the State of Technology at the End of 2015 — Stratechery Connie Chan: When One App Rules Them All: The Case of WeChat and Mobile in China — a16z Ben Thompson: Peak Google — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Beyond Disruption — Stratechery James Allworth: The Blessing of Failure — Medium Ben Thompson: The State … Continue reading Episode 113 — WeChat, China, and Apple

Ben and James discuss whether or not monopolies are good, the differences between education and healthcare, and how to build an economy of the future. Presented by MailChimp Links Episode 012: The Internet Rainforest — Exponent Episode 005: The World Has Changed — Exponent Ben Thompson: Not OK, Google — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Facebook and the Cost of Monopoly — Stratechery How Google Eats a Business Whole — The Outline Meet the Google Alum Who Created China’s Facebook-Groupon Mashup — Bloomberg Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback Presented … Continue reading Episode 112 — It’s Complicated

Ben and James discuss what it means if Facebook is a monopoly, what is lost if it is, and why there isn’t anything that can be done about it — for now. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: The Facebook Epoch — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Facebook and the Cost of Monopoly — Stratechery Kurt Gessler: Facebook’s algorithm isn’t surfacing one-third of our posts. And it’s getting worse — Medium Ben Thompson: Manifestos and Monopolies — Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback Presented by MailChimp

James and Ben discuss moral hazard and what seems to be going wrong with the U.S. economy, the different kinds of regulation, and how the App Store explains government policy. Presented by MailChimp Links James Allworth: Prioritizing Economics is Crippling the U.S. Economy — Medium Ryne Rohla: Creating a National Precinct Map — Decision Desk HQ Jeff Bezos: Annual Letter to Shareholders — SEC Matt Stoller: How Democrats Killed Their Populist Soul — The Atlantic Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback Presented by MailChimp

Ben and James discuss Apple’s Mac Pro screw-up and what it might say about the company and its culture. Presented by MailChimp Links John Gruber: The Mac Pro Lives — Daring Fireball Jay Yarow: Phil Schiller on Apple’s Ad Agency in an Email — Business Insider Ben Thompson: Whither Liberal Arts — Stratechery Apple iPad Air Ad — YouTube Steve Jobs After the GarageBand Demo During the Introduction of the iPad 2 — YouTube Ben Thompson: Apple’s Organizational Crossroads — Stratechery Ben Thompson: From Products to Platforms — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Why Doesn’t Apple Enable Sustainable Business on the App … Continue reading Episode 109 — Screw-ups Are Fun!

Ben and James discuss the meaning of artificial intelligence, whether machine learning qualifies, and a platform for dealing with the impact. Presented by MailChimp Links Chris Dixon: How Aristotle Created the Computer — The Atlantic Ben Thompson: The Arrival of Artificial Intelligence — Stratechery Dan Primack: Takeaways from Steve Mnuchins Axios Interview — Axios Maureen Dowd: Elon Musk’s Billion-Dollar Crusade to Stop the A.I. Apocalypse — Vanity Fair The Most Common Jobs in Every State — NPR At Blackrock, Machines Are Rising over Managers to Pick Stocks — [The New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/28/business/dealbook/blackrock-actively-managed- Ben Thompson: Verizon, AOL, Facebook Instant Articles, and … Continue reading Episode 108 — Statistics Gone Wild

Ben and James discuss the concept of The Smiling Curve and how it applies to various industries. Then, where value might be found in self-driving cars, and why both Uber and Google are getting it wrong. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: Aggregation Theory — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Publishers and the Smiling Curve — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Intel, Mobileye, and Smiling Curves — Stratechery Episode 012: The Internet Rainforest — Exponent “After SO many years of being lost, we finally have Aaliyah’s performance of ‘Try Again’ on Jay Leno. This is RARE as fuck.” — Twitter Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, … Continue reading Episode 107 — Smiling Curves and Self-Driving Cars

Ben and James discuss Uber’s recent scandals, and debate whether the company’s business actions can be separated from its culture. Presented by MailChimp Links Susan Fowler Rigetti: Reflecting on One Very, Very Strange Year at Uber — SusanJFowler.com Ben Thompson: The Uber Conflation — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Crisis at Uber, Uber’s Culture, Who is Responsible? — Stratechery Daily Update Brad Stone: The Upstarts — Hachette Book Group Ben Thompson: Tech Morality — Stratechery Daily Update Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback Presented by MailChimp

Ben and James discuss Mark Zuckerberg’s manifesto, the problem with regulation, and why Facebook needs exactly that. Presented by MailChimp Links Mark Zuckerberg: Building Global Community — Facebook Ben Thompson: Manifestos and Monopolies — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Inspired Media — Stratechery James Allworth: Founders and Motivation — Stratechery The Ezra Klein Podcast: Tim Wu’s Interesting, Unusual, Fascinating Life — Panoply Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback Presented by MailChimp

Ben and James compare Snap and Facebook to Apple and Microsoft, and worry that Snap’s business is misaligned. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: Snap’s Apple Strategy — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Truth About Windows Versus the Mac — Stratechery Ben Thompson: What Clayton Christensen Got Wrong — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Audacity of Copying Well — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Aggregation Theory — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Snapchat Spectacles and the Future of Wearables — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Old-Fashioned Snapchat — Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback Presented by … Continue reading Episode 104 — Snap’s Gingerbread Strategy

Ben and James discuss what kind of politicians and products cut through in the Internet age, and why they are profoundly different than what worked before. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: Inspired Media — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Voters Decide — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Friction — Stratechery James Allworth: The U.S. has Gone F&*%ing Mad — Medium Ben Thompson on How to Make It in the Media in 2016 — The Ezra Klein Show Journalism That Stands Apart — New York TimesTh Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter … Continue reading Episode 103 — Dull Knives Don’t Cut

Ben and James discuss the history of messaging apps, the rise of Snapchat, and why Instagram Stories was such a brilliant move. NOTE: The original audio file had a problem at the 36:50 mark; if you encounter this, please delete the file from your podcast app and re-download. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: The Audacity of Copying Well — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Snapchat’s Ladder — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Facebook, Phones, and Phonebooks — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Snapchat User Growth Concerns, What Makes Snapchat Valuable? — Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information … Continue reading Episode 102 — Snakes and Ladders

Ben and James discuss why different types of media have responded to the Internet with varying degrees of success. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: The Great Unbundling — Stratechery Chris Dixon: How Bundling Benefits Sellers and Buyers — cdixon blog The Netflix Backlash: Why Hollywood Fears a Content Monopoly — Hollywood Reporter Ben Thompson: Netflix and the Conservation of Attractive Profits — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Jobs That TV Does — Stratechery James Allworth: The Blessing of Failure — Medium Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback Presented … Continue reading Episode 101 — TV is the Oak Tree

Ben and James celebrate two milestones: 10 years for the iPhone, and 100 episodes for Exponent. This is a good one: it in many respects summarizes the entire run of both Exponent and Stratechery. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: The Ten Year Anniversary of the Apple TV — Stratechery Ben Thompson: What Clayton Christensen Got Wrong — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Beyond Disruption — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Shameless Samsung — Stratechery Ben Thompson: How Apple Creates Leverage, and the Future of Apple Pay — Stratechery Ben Thompson: From Products to Platforms — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Friction — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The … Continue reading Episode 100 — The Anniversary Episode: iPhone and Exponent

Ben and James discuss Amazon Alexa and the history of operating systems Presented by MailChimp Links Is That an Echo? — Exponent Episode 070 Ben Thompson — The Amazon Tax We Have Always Been at War with Amazon — Exponent Episode 081 Ben Thompson: Alexa: Amazon’s Operating System — Stratechery Voice Recognition Technology — YouTube Ben Thompson: The Truth About Windows Versus the Mac — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Aggregation Theory — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Beyond Disruption — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Mobile Makes Facebook Just an App; That’s Great News — Stratechery James Allworth: The Blessing of Failure — Medium Hosts … Continue reading Episode 099 — Fate Has a Sense of Irony

Ben and James discuss real estate and Opendoor, and the types of startups that will succeed in the future. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: Opendoor: A Startup Worth Emulating — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Zillow Acquires Trulia — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Google Self-Driving Cars = Waymo — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Google, Uber, and the Evolution of Transportation-As-A-Service — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Aggregation Theory — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Netflix and the Conservation of Attractive Profits — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The State of Technology at the End of 2016 — Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, … Continue reading Episode 098 — Shattered Glass