Episode 034 – The Story of Stratechery

This is the story of Stratechery, presented with much sheepishness on Ben’s part. How Ben thought about the market, his business model, and more. We apologize that this is a little long and perhaps a bit choppy. It’s hard to talk about us! Links Andrew Sullivan: A Note to my Readers – The Dish Ezra Klein: What Andrew Sullivan’s Exit Says About the Future of Blogging – Vox Ben Thompson: Blogging’s Bright Future – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Dear Zoë Keating: Tell YouTube to Take a Hike – Stratechery Taylor Swift: For Taylor Swift, the Future of Music is a Love … Continue reading Episode 034 – The Story of Stratechery

Episode 033 – Apple Fans and the Future

We discuss Apple’s recent results, why analysts get Apple wrong, the fraught nature of fans, epistemic closure, and whether the iPhone can continue to grow. Links Ben Thompson: Bad Assumptions – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Apple the Black Swan – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Best – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Smartphone Truths and Samsung’s Inevitable Decline – Stratechery James Allworth: Who Cares if Samsung Copied Apple? – Harvard Business Review (note: due to a website redesign the comments have been lost) Marco Arment: Apple Has Lost the Functional High Ground – Marco.org Marco Arment: What It’s Like to be too Popular for a … Continue reading Episode 033 – Apple Fans and the Future

Episode 032 – Follow-up and Frustration (Updated)

Note: I originally uploaded the wrong file. The correct file is 1:07 long, not 1:17. I am reposting this as many podcast clients download the file immediately. We briefly follow-up on last week’s copyright discussion, discuss Ben’s article on what the technology adoption curve gets wrong about Apple and Xiaomi, and then react to Microsoft’s Windows 10 (and Project HoloLens) presentation Links Stratechery Forum Discussion about Episode 30: Flabbergasted – Stratechery Forums (members-only) Ben Thompson: The End of Trickle-Down Technology – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Part 1 of an Interview with Xiaomi VP of International Hugo Barra on India and Xiaomi’s … Continue reading Episode 032 – Follow-up and Frustration (Updated)

Episode 031 – Flabbergasted

James thinks the idea of copyright is outdated and should be abolished. Ben is, well, see the title. Hosts Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback https://media.blubrry.com/exponent/p/content.blubrry.com/exponent/exponent_31.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Episode 030 – Xiaomi

Ben and James discuss Xiaomi’s ambition to own the home, why we’re frustrated with patents, why the West is unfair to the developing world, and what makes China unique. Links Jordan Lewis: Exponent Bingo – Twitter Ben Thompson: Xiaomi’s Ambition – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Handicapping the Internet of Things – Stratechery When Charles Dickens fell out with America – BBC To Live (The film about the Cultural Revolution) – Wikipedia Hosts Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback https://media.blubrry.com/exponent/p/content.blubrry.com/exponent/exponent_30.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Episode 029 – Drones

Ben and James discuss the problems with drones, how they could be used for terrorism, and how you balance upside and downside. Links Felix Salmon: Whither Nanopublishing? – Medium James Allworth: Thinking Twice About Drones – Stratechery (Members-only) FBI: Man plotted to fly drone-like toy planes with bombs into school – CBS News Warthox with Warpquad the fastest Quadrocopter in the Universe – YouTube Mark Manson: Five Lessons from Five Years of Traveling the World – MarkManson.net Hosts Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback https://media.blubrry.com/exponent/p/content.blubrry.com/exponent/exponent_29.mp3Podcast: Play in new window … Continue reading Episode 029 – Drones

Episode 028: Squirrel!

Ben and James discuss the recent App Store controversy and how a person – or company’s – greatest strength is also their greatest weakness. Plus a special 2nd recording about the Harvard business school professor and the Chinese restaurant. Links Cabel Sasser: Transmit iOS 1.1.1 [Updated] – Panic blog Greg Gardner: Launcher Followup and Thoughts on the App Store Review System – Cromulent Labs Ben Thompson: App Store Anguish, Old Apple’s Last Stand, Time for a Change? – Stratechery (members-only) Ben Thompson: Why Doesn’t Apple Enable Sustainable Businesses on the App Store? – Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Diminished iPad – Stratechery … Continue reading Episode 028: Squirrel!

Episode 027 – Regulation, Stagnation, and Culture

Ben and James follow up on last week’s Uber discussion, talk about the problem with regulation, and worry about stagnation and the different cultures of Europe, America, and Asia. Links Nicole Campbell: What Was Said at the Uber Dinner – Huffington Post Lane Wood: Here Ego Again – Medium Chase Madar: Why It’s Impossible to Indict a Cop – Nation Peter Sterne: Jack Schafer on Losing his Job and the State of Things – Capital New York Ben Thompson: Why Uber Fights – Stratechery Zenefits Faces Shutdown In Utah For Giving Its Cloud-Based HR Software Away For Free – Techcrunch … Continue reading Episode 027 – Regulation, Stagnation, and Culture

Episode 026: GROW GROW GROW FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

Ben and James briefly discuss Ben’s belief in the Internet opportunity for content creators, and then dive in to the recent Uber controversy. Links Publishers and the Smiling Curve: Ben Thompson – Stratechery Differentiation and Value Capture in the Internet Age: Ben Thompson – Stratechery The Internet Rainforest – Exponent Ang Lee and the Uncertainty of Success – Jeff Lin The Uber Problem – Stratechery Daily Update (members only) Uber and the Tyson Zone – Stratechery Daily Update (members only) Look How Uber’s Investors Have Also Funded Some Of Its Biggest Critics – Forbes Hosts Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery James … Continue reading Episode 026: GROW GROW GROW FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

Episode 025: Twitter and Taylor

Ben and James discuss Twitter and its strategic options, as well as YouTube’s new music service, Taylor Swift and Spotify, plus the special return of the garbage truck song. Links Twitter Sharpens Its Strategy to Win Over Investors – Wall Street Journal Ben Thompson: There are Two Twitters; Only One is Worth Investing In – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Twitter’s Marketing Problem – Stratechery Daniel Ek: $2 Billion and Counting – Spotify Taylor Swift: For Taylor Swift, the Future of Music Is a Love Story – Wall Street Journal Ben Thompson: What Taylor Swift Gets Right – Stratechery (members-only) Hosts Ben … Continue reading Episode 025: Twitter and Taylor