Brandless is closing down, which is being spun into a commentary on Softbank. This is fair, but the bigger takeaway is about DTC broadly.
SoftBank Rescues WeWork, Owning WeWork, Zuckerberg in Congress
SoftBank is rescuing WeWork in a very strange transaction, then re-visiting what I have written about WeWork. Plus, Zuckerberg’s appearance in Congress confirmed why Libra is the wrong approach for the company.
Neither and New Follow-Up, Adam Neumann Forced Out, Peloton IPOs
Why Neither/New companies are different than traditional marketplaces, how Vision Fund’s flaws led to Adam Neumann being forced out, and why Peloton has a big opportunity it might not see.
Neither, and New: Lessons from Uber and Vision Fund
Uber represents something new: a company that is different than incumbents because of technology, yet not itself a tech company — just like the Venture Fund is not a VC.
WeWork Delays IPO, Datadog Prices IPO, SoftBank and Going Big
WeWork abandons its IPO, for now, and is likely at the mercy of Softbank. Then, why Datadog is set to have a great IPO, in direct counter to WeWork and a direct rebuke to Softbank’s approach.
App Store Search, WeWork to Shelve IPO?, The Vision Fund Wobbles
The New York Times has a compelling expose of how Apple dominates App Store search. Then, WeWork may not IPO, although its CEO will be fine; the bigger question, though is about SoftBank’s Vision Fund.
Uber’s Rocky IPO, What Went Wrong, The Perils of Private
What went wrong with Uber’s IPO, and why the trend to stay private longer is problematic for everyone involved.
Uber Follow-up; GlobalFoundries Abandons 7nm; Pricing Power, Differentiation, and Integration
Not all of Uber’s efforts are new, but the urgency is. Then, there are only three foundries pursuing 7nm, which means more pricing power (and how this applies to Uber and self-driving cars).
Softbank and Sprint, Amazon Earnings, Jeff Bezos’s Letter and Interview
Sprint and the problem of fixed costs, Amazon and the advantage of fixed costs, and Jeff Bezos’ fundamental optimism
Uber Sells Out in Southeast Asia; Uber’s Self-Driving Tragedy; Doing the Right Thing, Inevitably
Uber is officially out of Southeast Asia, ultimately thanks to Softbank. Then, tragedy, as an Uber self-driving car kills a woman. This may be the end of the program, but the decision should have been made before.