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Ben And James

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ExponentExponentEpisode 196 — Forecasting the MetaverseBen and James discuss Facebook and Microsoft’s metaverse announcements, and how the future might play out. Links Ben Thompson: Meta — Stratechery Ben Thompson: An Interview with Mark Zuckerberg about the Metaverse — Stratechery Ben Thompson: AR vs. VR — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Apps, People, and Jobs to be Done — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Metaverses — Stratechery Hosts   Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review   Podcast Information   Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback 2021-11-051h 14ExponentExponentEpisode 194 — Back on SpotifyBen and James discuss the history of podcasts and why Spotify’s recent announcements are so compelling for creators. Links Ben Thompson: Spotify’s Surprise — Stratechery Episode 185 — Open, Free, and Spotify — Exponent Ben Thompson: Podcasts, Analytics, and Centralization — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Spotify’s Podcast Aggregation Play — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Dithering and Open Versus Free — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Spotify Earnings, Podcasts and Lifetime Value, The Ringer Acquisition — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The European Super League, Apple Music’s Letter to Artists — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Podcast Subscriptions vs. the App Store — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Fearing Spotify?, Apple’s Earnings, Margins and Chips — Stratech...2021-04-301h 06ExponentExponentEpisode 191 — Facebook, Twitter, and TrumpBen and James discuss whether Facebook and Twitter should de-platform President Trump. Links Ben Thompson: Tech and Trump — Stratechery Ben Thompson: New Defaults — Stratechery James Allworth: Prioritizing Economics is Crippling the U.S. Economy — Medium Ben Thompson: Trump and Twitter — Stratechery Hosts   Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review   Podcast Information   Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback 2021-01-081h 06ExponentExponentEpisode 190 — Intel, Apple, Disruption, and DifferentiationBen and James discuss Apple’s new chip announcement and what it means for both Apple and Intel. Links James Allworth: Intel’s Disruption is Now Complete — Medium Ben Thompson: Apple’s Shifting Differentiation — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Intel Opportunity — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Apple, ARM, and Intel — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Chips and Geopolitics — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Intel and the Danger of Integration — Stratechery Hosts   Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review   Podcast Information   Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback 2020-11-1300 minExponentExponentEpisode 189 — BundlesBen and James discuss the state of bundles in 2020, including Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Microsoft, and Apple. Links Ben Thompson: 2020 Bundles — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Great Unbundling — Stratechery Reed Hastings: 2018 Q4 Letter to Shareholders — Netflix Growth At Any Cost: Top Facebook Executive Defended Data Collection In 2016 Memo — And Warned That Facebook Could Get People Killed — BuzzFeed News Ben Thompson: Manifestos and Monopolies — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Facebook Lenses — Stratechery Casey Newton: Mark in the Middle — The Verge Ben Thompson: Losing My Amazon Religion — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Jobs TV Does — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Sports Linchpin — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Apple’s “Tim...2020-10-0649 minExponentExponentEpisode 188 — Big Tech, Antitrust, and DemocracyBen and James discuss the antitrust subcommittee hearing, the problems of mixing antitrust and Aggregators, and how to think about regulation and democracy. Links Ben Thompson: Antitrust Politics — Stratechery The New York Times: Here’s which tech C.E.O. was asked the most questions by lawmakers. — NY Times Ben Thompson: Why Doesn’t Apple Enable Sustainable Businesses on the App Store? — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Apple’s China Problem — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Antitrust Hearing, The Role of Congress, CEO Questions — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: A Framework for Regulating Competition on the Internet — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Ends, Me...2020-08-0754 minExponentExponentEpisode 185 — Open, Free, and SpotifyBen and James discuss Dithering, how Spotify is like Facebook, and a bit about working from home. Links Ben Thompson & John Gruber: Dithering — Dithering Ben Thompson: Dithering and Open Versus Free — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Daily Update Podcast — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Spotify’s Podcast Aggregation Play — Stratechery Ben Thompson: America Wakes Up?, An Interview with Matt Mullenweg About Working From Homey — Stratechery Daily Update Hosts   Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review   Podcast Information   Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback 2020-05-1548 minExponentExponentEpisode 184 — Good is Better than PerfectBen and James discuss masks and Twitter’s decision to delete tweets about COVID-19. Links Zeynep Tufekci: Why Telling People They Don’t Need Masks Backfired — The New York Times Ben Thompson: Unmasking Twitter — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Compaq and Coronavirus — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Zero Trust Information — Stratechery China’s Decision to Leave Asymptomatic Patients off Coronavirus Infection Tally Sparks Debate — Caixin Ben Thompson: Apple’s Organizational Crossroads — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Books and Blogs — Stratechery Why It’s So Freaking Hard To Make A Good COVID-19 Model — FiveThirtyEight Hosts   Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallwo...2020-04-0355 minExponentExponentEpisode 183 — A Search for EverythingBen and James contrast U.S. and China’s response to the coronavirus, and the choices facing society about how to handle information. Links Ben Thompson: Apple’s Earnings, Slowing Services Growth, Apple and the Coronavirus — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Economic Power in the Age of Abundance — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Corona Virus Whistleblowers; NBA Salary Cap Decreases; Apple, Benefits, and Risks — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Disney and COVID-19, The Coronavirus IPO, In Defense of Twitter — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Zero Trust Information — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Internet and the Third Estate — Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery Jame...2020-03-1347 minExponentExponentEpisode 182 — Scale Scale ScaleBen and James discuss the FTC’s decision to block the acquisition of Harry’s Razors, the DTC market, and the difference between being a monopoly and being too big. Links Ben Thompson: Apple’s Investor Warning, Foxconn’s Investor Warning, An Interview with Dan Wang — Stratechery Daily Update | Daily Update Podcast Ben Thompson: Email Addresses and Razor Blades — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Dollar Shave Club and the Disruption of Everything — Stratechery Ben Thompson: First, Do No Harm — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Netflix and the Conservation of Attractive Profits — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Local News Business Model — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Brandl...2020-02-281h 05ExponentExponentEpisode 181 — Competing with Spotify and Regulating AcquisitionsBen and James discuss Ben’s new Daily Update Podcast, and why Exponent is not on Spotify. Then, should regulators roll back acquisitions or prioritize the avoidance of unintended consequences? Links Ben Thompson: The Daily Update Podcast — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Rationale Behind the Daily Update Podcast, Podcasts and Email, Spotify and the Three Bens — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Spotify’s Podcast Aggregation Play — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Spotify Earnings, Podcasts and Lifetime Value, The Ringer Acquisition — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: First, Do No Harm — Stratechery Ben Thompson re: Facebook Acquiring Instagram in 2011: Twitter Eric Jackson: Why t...2020-02-2154 minExponentExponentEpisode 180 — It’s Been a WeekBen and James eulogize Professor Clayton M. Christensen Links Clayton M. Christensen: How Will You Measure Your Life? — Harvard Business Review Ben Thompson: What Clayton Christensen Got Wrong — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Clayton Christensen Passes Away, Professor Christensen and I, Kobe Bryant and Measuring Your Life — Stratechery Daily Update James Allworth, Karen Dillon, and Clayton M. Christensen — How Will You Measure Your Life? Hosts   Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review   Podcast Information   Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback 2020-01-3157 minExponentExponentEpisode 179 — The Water We Swim InBen and James discuss whether mobile and hyper-scale clouds are the natural endpoint for this stage of technology, or if new companies will ride new paradigm shifts to replace Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Apple. Links Ben Thompson: The End of the Beginning — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Obsoletive — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The End of the Beginning Follow-Up, Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital, Venture versus Productive Capital— Stratechery Daily Update Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital — Carlota Perez Ben Thompson: Bubble Talk, Revisited; It [Wasn’t] 1999; The Big Tech Basket — Stratechery Daily Update The Structure of Scientific Revolutions — Thomas Kuhn Ben Thompson...2020-01-1855 minExponentExponentEpisode 178 — More ErgonomicBen and James discuss the downsides of monopoly, and Apple. Then, why there is no absolute answer when it comes to integration or modularization, and why different approaches require different types of organizations and different types of leaders. Links Ben Thompson: Integration and Monopoly — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Facebook and the Cost of Monopoly — Stratechery John Gruber: 16-Inch MacBook Pro First Impressions: Great Keyboard, Outstanding Speakers — Daring Fireball Ben Thompson: Apple’s Organizational Crossroads — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Why Microsoft’s Reorganization Is a Bad Idea — Stratechery Hosts   Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth...2019-11-2251 minExponentExponentEpisode 176 — The Second Estate EraBen and James discuss how the Internet’s impact will be like the printing press’s, and what that means for how we should think about Facebook. Note: We apologize for the slight audio discrepancy between Ben and James Links Ben Thompson: The Internet and the Third Estate — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Zuckerberg’s Speech, Facebook Versus China, The Structure of Free Expression — Stratechery Ben Thompson: TV Advertising’s Surprising Strength — And Inevitable Fall — Stratechery Perry Link: China: The Anaconda in the Chandelier — ChinaFile Mark Zuckerberg Stands for Voice and Free Expression — Facebook The Federalist Papers: No. 47— Yale...2019-10-2554 minExponentExponentEpisode 175 — The Abyss Stares BackBen and James discuss the NBA and Apple in China and the long-term implications of doing business with authoritarian governments. Links Ben Thompson: The China Cultural Clash — Stratechery r/HongKong: List Of Companies Under China’s Censorship Orders (So Far). Credit To U/Lebe — Reddit Sam Dastyari Quits As Labor Senator Over China Connections — The Guardian Rejected three times due to fear of Beijing, controversial book on China’s secret influence will finally be published — Business Insider Ethan Strauss: Can Steve Kerr and the NBA do better on China? — The Athletic Ben Thompson: Apple Pulls Hong Kong App, Tim...2019-10-1551 minExponentExponentEpisode 174 — Distracted at FacebookBen and James discuss Facebook from multiple angles, including child sexual abuse material, encryption, Oculus, and a leaked all-hands meeting.   Links Ben Thompson: Friction — Stratechery The Internet Is Overrun With Images of Child Sexual Abuse. What Went Wrong? — New York Times Ben Thompson: Child Sexual Abuse Material Online, The Problem With Community, Towards More Friction — Stratechery Casey Newton: Read The Full Transcript of Mark Zuckerberg’s Leaked Internal Facebook Meetings — The Verge Ben Thompson: Facebook’s All-Hands Leak, Facebook Versus Warren, Zuckerberg’s Culture — Stratechery Attorney General Bill Barr Will Ask Zuckerberg To Halt Plans For End-To...2019-10-0549 minExponentExponentEpisode 173 — The Exponent IPOBen and James discuss Cloudflare and what it is like going through an IPO, as well as what has gone wrong with WeWork.   Links Ben Thompson: Netflix and the Conservation of Attractive Profits — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Cloudflare’s S-1 — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: AWS and the Impact on Venture Capital — Stratechery Ben Thompson: WeWork Delays IPO — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: The WeWork IPO — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Why WeWork Isn’t AWS — Stratechery Ben Thompson: What Is a Tech Company? — Stratechery Hosts   Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review ...2019-09-2059 minExponentExponentEpisode 172 — Game of PhonesBen and James discuss WWDC keynote and why it was so important for Apple to move past the iPhone.   Links Ben Thompson: Apple’s Audacity — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Apple’s Middle Age — Stratechery Letter from Tim Cook to Apple investors — Apple Ben Thompson: Strategy Credit — Stratechery Updates to the App Store Guidelines — Apple Ben Thompson: Antitrust, the App Store, and Apple — Stratechery Hosts   Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review   Podcast Information   Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback 2019-06-1346 minExponentExponentEpisode 171 — An Intra-west DebateBen and James discuss the U.S.-China trade war and the fundamental issues facing both countries generally and tech specifically. Links Ben Thompson: China, Leverage, and Values — Stratechery We Were Pirates, Too — Foreign Policy How China Uses High-Tech Surveillance to Subdue Minorities — New York Times Ben Thompson: The Pollyannish Assumption — Stratechery Ben Thompson: More on Values (and Facebook) — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Open, Closed, and Privacy — Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback 2019-05-2455 minExponentExponentEpisode 170 — A Perfect MealBen and James discuss the Zoom and Slack IPOs in the context of Microsoft’s current success and long-term challenges. Links Ben Thompson: Microsoft, Slack, Zoom, and the SaaS Opportunity — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The State of Technology at the End of 2018 — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Google Fights Back — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The End of Windows — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Microsoft’s Earnings, Microsoft’s Growth Opportunities — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Microsoft Build, Microsoft’s Strategic Clarity, An Interview with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Cost of Developers — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Google Fights Back — Stratechery Geoffrey Moore: To Succeed in the Long Te...2019-05-1043 minExponentExponentEpisode 167 — YouTube and the End of FrictionBen and James discuss the question of YouTube, why it’s similar and different from Facebook, and why engagement is both alluring and a potential problem. Links YouTube Executives Ignored Warnings, Letting Toxic Videos Run Rampant — Bloomberg Ben Thompson: Apple’s Services Event — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Mark Zuckerberg’s Proposal, The Copyright Directive and Sunk Costs — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: YouTube and Toxic Videos, YouTube’s Problematic Incentives, Sins of Omission and Commission — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Friction — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Pollyannish Assumption — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Wall Street Journal and Apple News, The Problem with Regul...2019-04-0556 minExponentExponentEpisode 166 — Fence-building vs. Axe-wieldingBen and James discuss Senator Warren’s proposal to break up Big Tech, including why its history is wrong, why details matter, and what needs to be done instead. Plus, Spotify’s antitrust complaint against Apple. Links Senator Elizabeth Warren: Here’s how we can break up Big Tech — Medium Ben Thompson: Where Warren’s Wrong — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Amazon’s Price Parity Provision, The Amazon Marketplace Question — Stratechery Daily Update Five Fast Facts About Apple’s Anti-competitive Behavior — Time To Play Fair (Spotify Website) Ben Thompson: Spotify Files Antitrust Complaint Against Apple, Spotify and Warren, More Amazon Marketpla...2019-03-151h 02ExponentExponentEpisode 165 — Mark Zuckerberg’s Projected SelfBen and James discuss Mark Zuckerberg’s latest missive, whether Facebook is actually changing anything, and wonder if the company will ever tell the unvarnished truth. Links Mark Zuckerberg: A Privacy-Focused Vision for Social Networking — Facebook Ben Thompson: Facebook’s Privacy Cake — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Facebook, Phones, and Phonebooks — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Social/Communications Map — Stratechery After an “identity crisis,” Social Capital CEO Chamath Palihapitiya says he’s taught himself how to be happy again — Recode Ben Thompson: The Audacity of Copying Well — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Messaging: Mobile’s Killer App — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Open, Closed, and Privacy — Stra...2019-03-0857 minExponentExponentEpisode 164 — Valuing Value ChainsBen and James discuss Amazon, Walmart, and groceries, Google Cloud versus AWS, and why understanding value chains helps evaluate business opportunities. Links Ben Thompson: The Value Chain Constraint — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Walmart’s Earnings, Walmart’s Grocery Business, Amazon’s Grocery Stumbles — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Amazon the Black Swan — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Amazon’s New Customer — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Walmart and the Multichannel Trap — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Google Cloud Changes CEOs, Layers of Surprise (or Not), The VMWare Analogy — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Amazon Tax — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Venture Capital and the Internet’s Impact — Stratechery Fac...2019-03-011h 06ExponentExponentExponent 162 — Why Exponent Isn’t on SpotifyBen and James discuss Spotify’s move into podcasts and integration and modularity in value chains. Links Ben Thompson: Spotify’s Podcast Aggregation Play — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Lessons From Spotify — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Podcasts, Analytics, and Centralization — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Future of Podcasting — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The BuzzFeed Lesson — Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback 2019-02-0853 minExponentExponentEpisode 160 — Zeros All the Way DownBen and James discuss Netflix, why it is an Aggregator, and why Disney isn’t actually a competitor Links Ben Thompson: Netflix Flexes — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Netflix and the Conservation of Attractive Profits — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Apple Should Buy Netflix — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Why TV Has Resisted Disruption — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Why Disney and ESPN Will Be OK — Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback 2019-01-2547 minExponentExponentEpisode 158 — A Significant ShiftBen and James discuss Apple’s revenue warning and the company’s shift to services. Links Ben Thompson: Apple’s Errors — Stratechery Letter from Tim Cook to Apple Investors — Apple Ben Thompson: Two Bears — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Apple’s China Problem — Stratechery Ben Thompson: CES and the Unification of Computing and Consumer Electronics, Google Assistant and Integration, The Modular Competition — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: The Android Detour — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Apple Should Buy Netflix — Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback 2019-01-1148 minExponentExponentEpisode 153 — Black HolesBen and James continue their discussion on why aggregators and platforms are different and why it matters for big companies, competitors, and regulators. Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links Ben Thompson: The Bill Gates Line — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Manifestos and Monopolies — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Case Against Google — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Why Facebook Shouldn’t Be Allowed to Buy tbh — Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback2018-05-2548 minExponentExponentEpisode 152 — Platforms Versus AggregatorsBen and James continue to discuss the differences between platforms and aggregators, including Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Netflix, Amazon, and Uber. Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links Ben Thompson: The Moat Map — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Books and Blogs — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Zillow, Aggregation, and Integration — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Tech’s Two Philosophies — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Casual Gaming is a Sustainable Business, but Not a Platform Differentiator — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Why Doesn’t Apple Enable Sustainable Businesses on the App Store? — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Apple’s China Problem —...2018-05-1851 minExponentExponentEpisode 151 — Two by TwosBen and James discuss the differences between Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Apple specifically, and the differences between aggregators and platforms generally. Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links Google Duplex Demo — YouTube Ben Thompson: Tech’s Two Philosophies — Stratechery Note: The Steve Jobs videos are in the above article Ben Thompson: Platforms Versus Aggregators — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Manifestos and Monopolies — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Face is Not the Future — Stratechery Ben Thompson: From Products to Platforms — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Why Doesn’t Apple Enable Sustainable Busi...2018-05-1159 minExponentExponentEpisode 150 — Round NumbersBen and James discuss how Apple and Amazon’s focus on the customer experience protects them from low-end disruption. Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links Ben Thompson: Divine Discontent: Disruption’s Antidote — Stratechery Ben Thompson: What Clayton Christensen Got Wrong — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The $550 iPhone 5C Makes Perfect Sense — Stratechery GRAPH: The Disruptive Innovation Model — Harvard Business Review Louis C K: Everything Is Amazing and Nobody is Happy — YouTube Ben Thompson: Why Microsoft’s Reorganization Is a Bad Idea — Stratechery Ben Bajarin: Top Takeaways From Studying iPho...2018-05-041h 03ExponentExponentEpisode 149 — Zillow and Sustaining AggregationBen and James discuss Zillow’s shift in business model and the further refinement of Aggregation Theory through the incorporation of the ideas of disruption. Presented by WordPress.com: Get 15% off on a new site by visiting WordPress.com/Exponent. Links Ben Thompson: Zillow, Aggregation, and Integration — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Opendoor: A Startup Worth Emulating — Stratechery Episode 098: Shattered Glass — Exponent Ben Thompson: Defining Aggregators — Stratechery 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: Books and Blog — Strateche...2018-04-2746 minExponentExponentEpisode 147 — There’s Always a Bigger FishBen 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...2018-04-061h 02ExponentExponentEpisode 146 — Facebook’s Real MistakeBen 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 Ne...2018-03-231h 03ExponentExponentEpisode 144 — 90s Alt ForeverBen 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, Strateche...2018-03-091h 02ExponentExponentEpisode 143 — Dilly-Dallying DropboxBen 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...2018-03-0255 minExponentExponentEpisode 142 (Updated) — Google and AntitrustBen 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 Up...2018-02-2454 minExponentExponentEpisode 141 — The Mailbag EpisodeBen 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: Sapi...2018-02-161h 05ExponentExponentEpisode 140 — The Products They Built Along the WayBen 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 fr...2018-02-091h 05ExponentExponentEpisode 137 — Addicted to FacebookBen 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 Revol...2018-01-191h 06ExponentExponentEpisode 135 — Two Is Better Than OneBen 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 H...2017-12-221h 24ExponentExponentEpisode 133 — Two Terrible OptionsBen 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 Vi...2017-12-021h 06ExponentExponentEpisode 132 — Successful DisappointmentsBen 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...2017-11-171h 01ExponentExponentEpisode 131 — Head-on is HardBen 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 Podcast Information Feed iT...2017-11-101h 04ExponentExponentEpisode 130 — The 50,000 Foot ViewBen 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 — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Mobile Makes Fa...2017-11-0359 minExponentExponentEpisode 129 — The Disruption AntidoteBen 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 ...2017-10-271h 03ExponentExponentEpisode 128 — CounterfactualsBen 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 — The...2017-10-2052 minExponentExponentEpisode 127 — The Worst-Case ScenarioBen 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 — Str...2017-10-131h 05ExponentExponentEpisode 126 — Getting to the Future FasterBen 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 Pod...2017-09-291h 07ExponentExponentEpisode 125 — The Super-AggregatorsBen 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 Soun...2017-09-221h 08ExponentExponentEpisode 124 — The Watch, The Phone, The BeatlesBen 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 Thompson: What Clayton Christ...2017-09-1555 minExponentExponentEpisode 123 — There Is No Going BackBen 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 Aggregation — Stratechery ...2017-09-0855 minExponentExponentEpisode 122 — From Intel to DisneyBen 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 Story — Stratechery Daily Upd...2017-08-2659 minExponentExponentEpisode 121 — The Uber MutationBen 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, S...2017-08-181h 10ExponentExponentEpisode 117 — Fruitful ClappingBen 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...2017-06-091h 00ExponentExponentEpisode 113 — WeChat, China, and AppleBen 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...2017-05-0559 minExponentExponentEpisode 109 — Screw-ups Are Fun!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 Store — Strate...2017-04-0757 minExponentExponentEpisode 104 — Snap’s Gingerbread StrategyBen 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 T...2017-02-171h 02ExponentExponentEpisode 103 — Dull Knives Don’t CutBen 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 iTu...2017-02-0354 minExponentExponentEpisode 101 — TV is the Oak TreeBen 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 T...2017-01-201h 08ExponentExponentEpisode 100 — The Anniversary Episode: iPhone and ExponentBen 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 Voters Decide — Stratechery Ben T...2017-01-131h 07ExponentExponentEpisode 099 — Fate Has a Sense of IronyBen 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 Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery...2017-01-061h 00ExponentExponentEpisode 098 — Shattered GlassBen 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, @jamesallworth, Harvard Busine...2016-12-161h 05ExponentExponentEpisode 097 — Google Versus AWSBen and James discuss cloud computing and why Google fell behind AWS, and how the company is taking a very wise strategy in catching up. Note: Due to a recording error Ben’s track quality is poor. Our apologies. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: How Google is Challenging AWS — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Amazon Re:Invent, Google vs AWS vs IBM vs Microsoft — Stratechery Daily Update Steve Yegge: Stevey’s Google Platforms Rant — Google Plus Ben Thompson: The Amazon Tax — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Apple’s Organizational Crossroads — Stratechery Transcript: @Chamath At StrictlyVC’s Insider Series —...2016-12-021h 13ExponentExponentEpisode 095 — The Backlash Has ArrivedBen and James discuss the Trump election, filter bubbles, and the responsibility of the tech industry. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: Donald Trump is the President-Elect, Tech Under Trump, The Big Picture — Stratechery Daily Update Episode 085: Ballots and Guillotines — Exponent Ben Thompson: The Brexit Possibility — Stratechery James Allworth: Brexit, Trump, and the Ultimatum Game — Medium Ben Thompson: The Voters Decide — Stratechery “Day One in Trump’s America” — Twitter Moments Kim-Mai Cutler: “The best way to have the stickiest and most lucrative product? Be a systematic tool for confirmation bias.” — Twitter Ben Thompson: Facebook and Filter Bubbles — Str...2016-11-111h 09ExponentExponentEpisode 094 — Should Apple Buy Netflix?Ben and James discuss when acquisitions make sense, why Apple shouldn’t buy Tesla, and debate whether they should or should not buy Netflix. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: Apple Should Buy Netflix — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Why Apple Shouldn’t Buy Netflix — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Best — Stratechery Ben Thompson: It’s a Tesla — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Netflix and Aggregation Theory — Stratechery Daily Update The Netflix Backlash: Why Hollywood Fears a Content Monopoly — Hollywood Reporters Ben Thompson: Netflix’s Earnings —Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Everything as a Service — Stratechery Steve Blank: Why Tim Cook is Steve Ba...2016-11-041h 18ExponentExponentEpisode 093 — The Disruption of EverythingBen and James discuss the difference between the IT era and the Internet Revolution, first in the context of newspapers and then in the context of society broadly. Presented by MailChimp Links Jack Shafer: What If the Newspaper Industry Made a Colossal Mistake? — Politico Ben Thompson: The IT Era and the Internet Revolution — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Snapchat Changes Publisher Monetization — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Sports Linchpin — Stratechery Ben Thompson: TV Advertising’s Surprising Strength — and Inevitable Fall — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Friction — Stratechery Barack Obama, Neural Nets, Self-Driving Cars, and the Future of the World — Wired Heidi N Moor...2016-10-2157 minExponentExponentEpisode 091 — Google’s New Business ModelBen and James discuss the history of Android and why Google’s new phone signifies such a profound shift for the company. Presented by MailChimp Links Farhad Manjoo: MailChimp and the Un-Silicon Valley Way to Make It as a Start-Up — The New York Ttimes Ben Thompson: The Android Detour — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Truth About Windows Versus the Mac — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The State of Consumer Technology at the End of 2014 — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Google’s Go-to-Market Gap — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Why Google’s Pixel-Android Strategy is Smart, Samsung Buys Viv, Google Home — Stratechery Ben Th...2016-10-071h 07ExponentExponentEpisode 090 — Fashionable to Be CynicalBen and James follow-up on Facebook versus the media, and then dive into Spectacles and what makes for a compelling product. Presented by MailChimp Links Ben Thompson: Facebook Tweetstorm — Twitter Ben Thompson: How the Snap Spectacles Story Broke, Facebook Overestimated Video Metric — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Economic Power in the Age of Abundance — Stratechery Warren Buffett: 1991 Letter to Shareholders — Berkshire Hathaway Ben Thompson: Snapchat Spectacles and the Future of Wearables — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Snapchat’s Ladder — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Facebook, Phones, and Phonebooks — Stratechery Seth Stevenson: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles — Wall Street Journal Ful...2016-09-301h 02ExponentExponentEpisode 087 — Meditations on CourageBen and James discuss James’ adventurous summer and the recent Apple event and what it says about the future of Apple. Presented by MailChimp Links Wolverine Misses Exponent — Twitter James Allworth: So You’re Thinking About Doing a 10 Day Silent Vipassana Meditation Retreat? — Medium Naked People — Exponent Ben Thompson: Beyond the iPhone — Stratechery Farhad Manjoo: What’s Really Missing From the New iPhone: Cutting-Edge Design — New York Times Ben Thompson: Apple’s Organizational Crossroads — Stratechery Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’ — The Washington Post Ben Thompson: Apple’s PR Push, Maps and Apple’s Orga...2016-09-0947 minExponentExponentEpisode 086 — Following a Pokémon Off a CliffBen and James discuss Facebook Live and Pokémon Go. Please note that this episode was podcast five days ago, on Saturday, July 16. Links Ben Thompson: A Technical Glitch — Stratechery The Laborers Who Keep Dick Pics and Beheadings Out of Your Facebook Feed — Wired Mat Honan: Why Facebook And Mark Zuckerberg Went All In On Live Video — BuzzFeed Ben Thompson: Facebook and the Feed — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Pokémon Go Phenomonan, Nintendo’s Pivot, Additional Notes on Pokémon Go — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Activision Blizzard Buys King Digital — Stratechery Daily Update Aaron Levie: Nintendo’s Mobile...2016-07-221h 03ExponentExponentEpisode 085 — Ballots Versus GuillotinesBen and James discuss why the sociopolitical factors underlying the Brexit vote and their relationship to technology and a system of the future. Links Ben Thompson: The Brexit Possibility — Stratechery Ben Thompson: TV Advertising’s Surprising Strength — And Inevitable Fall — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Follow-up: The Big Picture — Stratechery James Allworth: Brexit, Trump, and the Ultimatum Game — Medium Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback Sponsorship Inquiry 2016-07-0159 minExponentExponentEpisode 084 — The Old World OrderBen and James discuss how the TV industry and the companies that advertise on TV are interconnected, and how they will rise and fall together. Links Ben Thompson: TV Advertising’s Surprising Strength — and Inevitable Fall — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Cord Cutting Fantasy — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Why Disney and ESPN Will Be OK — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Old-Fashioned Snapchat — Stratechery Ben Thompson: How Technology is Changing the World (P&G Edition) — Stratechery Ken Doctor: The Macy’s Factor — Politico Ben Thompson: Cars and the Future — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Publishers and the Smiling Curve — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Changing — and Unchang...2016-06-241h 04ExponentExponentEpisode 083 — Microsoft & LinkedIn versus Apple & WWDCBen and James discuss Microsoft’s acquisition of LinkedIn and Apple’s WWDC announcements, and figure out why they feel so differently about the two of them. Links James Allworth: Who’s going to be having sleepless nights after Microsoft’s LinkedIn deal? — Medium Ben Thompson: Microsoft and Apple Double Down — Stratechery Ben Thompson: How Satya Nadella Killed Windows Phone — Stratechery Microsoft’s Nadella Manages Legacy of Ballmer-Board Split — Bloomberg Ben Thompson: The Deal That Makes No Sense — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Curse of Culture — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Apple’s Organizational Crossroads — Stratechery James Allworth: The Blessing of Failure — Medi...2016-06-171h 11ExponentExponentEpisode 082 — A Podcast About PodcastsBen and James discuss the present and future of podcasts, and how media companies need to take a holistic approach to their businesses. Links Ben Thompson: The Future of Podcasts — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Why Web Pages Suck — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Publishers and the Smiling Curve — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Grantland and the (Surprising) Future of Publishing — Stratechery Ezra Klein Show: Ben Thompson on How to Make it in the Media in 2016 — Vox Marco Arment: Apple’s Actual Role in Podcasting: Be Careful What You Wish For — Marco.org Podcasts Surge, but Producers Fear Apple Isn’t Listening — New York Times 2016-06-101h 21ExponentExponentEpisode 081 — We Have Always Been at War with AmazonBen and James explain why Alexa is an even bigger deal than it seems, and why both Apple and Google should fear Amazon. Plus, why Microsoft’s challenges are only beginning. Links Ben Thompson: The Amazon Tax — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Jeff Bezos at the Code Conference — Stratechery Daily Update Jeff Bezos Intervew at the Code Conference: Video, Podcast, Live Blog Now We’re Talking: Amazon Alexa Comes to Pebble Core — Pebble Ben Thompson: Twilio Files for IPO — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Google’s Go-to-Market Gap — Stratechery James Allworth: The Blessing of Failure — Medium Ben Thompson: Mobile Makes Facebook Just an A...2016-06-0354 minExponentExponentEpisode 080 — Multiple Full CirclesBen and James discuss briefly revisit last week’s discussion on Facebook, then discuss the Peter Thiel versus Gawker affair, and the implications for tech broadly. Then, how culture helps and hurts at Facebook, Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Links Ben Thompson: The Real Problem with Facebook and the News — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Peter Thiel, Comic Book Hero — Stratechery (note: this was written after the podcast) When the Most Personal Secrets Get Outed on Facebook — Wall Street Journal Ben Thompson: The Curse of Culture — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Google’s Go-to-Market Gap — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Everything as a Service — Strat...2016-05-2758 minExponentExponentEpisode 079 — Twerk the AlgorithmBen and James discuss the allegations that Facebook is censoring conservative news, and renew their ongoing debate about Facebook’s power. Then, why Google’s current situation is similar to Microsoft, even though the long-term looks good. Links Want to Know What Facebook Really Thinks of Journalists? Here’s What Happened When It Hired Some. — Gizmodo Former Facebook Workers: We Routinely Suppressed Conservative News — Gizmodo Nilay Patel: Let’s Say Obvious Things About Facebook and Conservative News — The Verge Ben Thompson: The Voters Decide — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Real Problem with Facebook and the News — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Defe...2016-05-2058 minExponentExponentEpisode 078 — Bending TreesBen and James discuss how the world will change, how change happens in companies and society, and debate whether or not we have crossed the rubicon to a new world. Links Ben Thompson: Everything as a Service —  Stratechery Ben Thompson: Friction — Stratechery Farhad Manjoo: The Uber Model, It Turns Out, Doesn’t Translate — The New York Times Ben Thompson: Intel Restructures — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Microsoft’s Mobile Muddle — Stratechery Max Wessel: Path Dependency, Infrastructure, and Entrepreneurship — LongLogic Too Much of a Good Thing — Economist Ben Thompson: Facebook and New Market Disruption — Stratechery Daily Update The web app that Be...2016-05-061h 11ExponentExponentEpisode 074 — Tesla FervorBen and James discuss the Tesla phenomena, how they built such a powerful brand, and debate whether that will be enough to lead the company to success. Links Ben Thompson: It’s a Tesla — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Tesla Skepticism and Superchargers — Stratechery Daily Update Tesla’s Not as Disruptive as You Think — Harvard Business Review Ben Thompson: Obsoletive — Stratechery Elon Musk: The Secret Tesla Motors Master Plan (just between you and me) — Tesla Blog Ben Thompson: Tesla Powerwall — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Xiaomi’s Struggles — Stratechery Daily Update Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jam...2016-04-081h 05ExponentExponentEpisode 073 — Get Off My Lawn!Ben and James discuss how Snapchat has built it’s product so effectively, the narcissist in all of us, and the structure of social around the world. Links Ben Thompson: Snapchat’s Ladder — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Old-Fashioned Snapchat — Stratechery Snapchat’s Updated Policies Hint at Bigger Search, Ad Ambitions — MarketingLand “The Snarkie” — Twitter Ben Thompson: The Multitudes of Social — Stratechery Alex Muir: Facebook is the New Excel — AlexMuir.com WeChat Payments Rocket as China’s Tencent Rides Gaming Wave — Reuters Ben Thompson: Snapchat Follow-up; WeChat, Facebook Messenger, and iMessage — Stratechery Daily Update After-show: Ben Thompson: Services, Not Devi...2016-04-011h 14ExponentExponentEpisode 072 — Low Hanging FruitBen and James continue last week’s discussion about Apple’s struggles with the cloud, then discuss why the iPhone SE is such a brilliant move — and how those two things are related. Plus, an after-show about Microsoft and Intel and what makes for an effective leader. Links Amir Efrati and Steve Nellis: Inside Apple’s Cloud Infrastructure Troubles — The Information Ben Thompson: iCloud and Apple’s Founding Myth — Stratechery Adam Lashinsky: The Cook Doctrine at Apple — Fortune Ben Thompson: Apple Music and Apple’s Focus — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Two Bears — Stratechery Ben Thompson: What Clayton Christensen — Stratech...2016-03-251h 18ExponentExponentEpisode 071 — Pickaxe RetailersBen and James discuss the connection between Amazon’s business model and organizational structure, why Dropbox shouldn’t have left AWS, and why Apple should buy Dropbox. Plus, does WeWork’s valuation make sense, and why such companies are exciting. Links Ben Thompson: The Amazon Tax — Stratechery Brad Stone: The Everything Store — Brad-Stone.com Jeff Bezos: 1997 Letter to Sharholders — Amazon FedEx Downplays Amazon Logistics Threat — The Seattle Times Ben Thompson: Dropbox Leaves AWS, Should UPS and Fedex Be Afraid? — Stratechery Dailiy Update Ben Thompson: Stripe Atlas, An Interview with Patrick Collison — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Venture Capital an...2016-03-181h 12ExponentExponentEpisode 070 — Is That an Echo?Ben and James discuss the Amazon Echo, Apple’s cloudy future, Google’s Missed Opportunity, and why Amazon has so much growth potential ahead of it. Links Ben Thompson: Why Uber Fights — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Amazon Echo Expands — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: The Amazon Echo — Stratechery Daily Update Dustin Curtis: Amazon Has No Taste — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Stop Doubting the iPhone — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Android Where? — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Digital Hub 2.0 — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Amazon’s Transformation and the Costco Model — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Amazon the Logistics Company — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Losing My...2016-03-111h 11ExponentExponentEpisode 069 — Wrapped Around an AxleBen and James discuss how the aggregation of media led to a weakening of political parties, opening the door to unexpected candidates. Plus, why Facebook’s focus on engagement might be dangerous, and why diversity is important from day one. This episode is sponsored by Wunder Capital. Make a good investment and do good at the same time through Wunder Capital’s solar investment opportunities. Create an account for free at WunderCapital.com/exponent. Links Ben Thompson: The Voters Decide — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Aggregation Theory — Stratechery Ben Thompson: The FANG Playbook — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Netflix an...2016-03-041h 12ExponentExponentEpisode 067 — Weighing and VotingBen and James discuss the mistakes made by Zenefits, when to challenge regulation, and the problem with short-term thinking. This podcast was recorded before the Apple/FBI news broke; we currently plan to cover that next week. Links Ben Thompson: Fidelity Reprices Again — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Zenefits and Regulation — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Follow-up to The Reality of Missing Out — Stratechery Daily Update James Allworth: High Frequency Trading and Finance’s Race to Irrelevance — Harvard Business Review Here is the letter the world’s largest investor, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, just sent to CEOs everywh...2016-02-191h 02ExponentExponentEpisode 065 — Competing Against Non-ConsumptionBen and James discuss Apple earnings, Twitter’s troubles, and whether or not the Internet is over-rated. This episode is sponsored by Wealthfront. See recommended portfolios and get up to $15,000 managed for free by visiting Wealthfront.com/exponent. Links Ben Thompson: Apple’s Good Earnings, Apple is Not a Services Company — Stratechery Daily Update Paul Carsten: China Smartphone Glory Days Are Over as Apple, Xiaomi Face Tough Times — Reuters Ben Thompson: How Facebook Squashed Twitter — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Twitter Follow-up — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Twitter’s Marketing Problem — Stratechery James Allworth and Ben Thompson: Check...2016-01-291h 08ExponentExponentEpisode 061 — OpenAI and Strategy CreditsBen and James discuss OpenAI’s new mission and what it says about capitalism. Or is it just a strategy credit that we are reading too much into? This episode is sponsored by Wealthfront. See recommended portfolios and get up to $15,000 managed for free by visiting Wealthfront.com/Exponent. Links Ben Thompson: “Yep, broken.” — Twitter James Allworth: Is OpenAI Solving the Wrong Problem? — Harvard Busines Review Introducing OpenAI — OpenAI Steven Levy: How Elon Musk and Y Combinator Plan to Stop Computers From Taking Over — Backchannel Ben Thompson: OpenAI, Artificial Intelligence and Data, Data and Recruiting — S...2015-12-181h 11ExponentExponentEpisode 059 — Fashion in PC GamingBen and James discuss PC Gaming and the fascinating way in which it monetizes, leading to a wide-ranging discussion about how business has changed because of the Internet. This episode is sponsored by Wealthfront. See recommended portfolios and get up to $15,000 managed for free by visiting Wealthfront.com/Exponent. Links Chris Dixon: Lessons From the PC Video Game Industry — Medium Jared Sinclar: Saving the iPad — JaredSinclair.com Ben Thompson: Grantland and the (Surprising) Future of Publishing — Stratechery Ben Thompson: TensorFlow and Monetizing Intellectual Property — Stratechery Justin Williams: The Chicken or the iPad Pro — Medium Ben Thomps...2015-11-201h 07ExponentExponentEpisode 057 — The User ExperienceBen and James discuss the importance of the user experience in not only avoiding disruption but also in building dominant companies. It’s a key component of Aggregation Theory This episode is sponsored by Wealthfront. See recommended portfolios and get up to $15,000 managed for free by visiting Wealthfront.com/Exponent. Links James Allworth: Measure What Matters — Exponent Ben Thompson: Airbnb and the Internet Revolution — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Why Uber Fights — Stratechery Ben Thompson: Stop Doubting the iPhone — Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed i...2015-10-301h 13ExponentExponentEpisode 052 — All About AdsBen and James briefly discuss ad-blockers, then admit it’s an academic debate and move on to the business of advertising and the far more profound shifts that are caused on the Internet and by new places on the Internet. Note: This podcast references Marco Arment’s Peace application, but was recorded before Marco pulled the app. Please see the relevant links below. This episode is sponsored by Zendesk. Make your customer service seem like magic by building it directly into your apps, websites and products with Zendesk Embeddables. Links James Allworth and...2015-09-201h 01ExponentExponentEpisode 051 — SegueBen and James discuss James’ sophomore experience at Burning Man, and then turn to the iPad Pro and its paucity of quality of applications. Just how much is Apple responsible? This episode is sponsored by Zendesk. Make your customer service seem like magic by building it directly into your apps, websites and products with Zendesk Embeddables. Links Exponent Episode 016 — Naked People Ben Thompson: From Products to Platforms — Stratechery Emanuel Sa: We Need Sketch for the iPad Pro — Designer News Ben Thompson: App Store Policy Follow-up, The iPad Pro, The iPad Pro Accessories — Stratechery Ben Thompson...2015-09-131h 04ExponentExponentEpisode 048 — An Exhausting WeekIn this week’s episode, Ben and James discuss Dick Costolo stepping down as CEO of Twitter, Apple’s seeming war on Google, and the concerning launch of Apple Music. Links Ben Thompson: Dick Costolo Out as Twitter CEO, Costolo’s Key Shortcoming, Twitter’s Next CEO — Stratechery Daily Update (members-only) Ben Thompson: Twitter Needs New Leadership — Stratechery Chris Sacca: What Twitter Can Ben — Lowercase Capital Mary Meeker: Internet Trends 2015 (Slide 47) — KPCB Ben Thompson: Apple Enables Ad-Blockers — Stratechery Daily Update (members-only) Ben Thompson: Apple Music and Apple’s Focus — Stratechery Charlie Warzel: Apple’s Junk Drawer Problem — BuzzFeed News ...2015-06-131h 00ExponentExponentEpisode 047 — Apple, Google, and PrivacyIn this week’s episode, Ben and James briefly discuss Jony Ive’s promotion, the future of Apple, Google I/O, and Tim Cook’s speech on privacy. Links Ben Thompson: The Apple Car and Jony Ive — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: Google IO: Android and Serving the World; Photos, Google Now, and the World’s Information; Google’s Turning Point — Stratechery Daily Update Ben Thompson: The Funnel Framework — Stratechery Matthew Panzarino: Apple’s Tim Cook Delivers Blistering Speech On Encryption, Privacy — TechCrunch Ben Thompson: Tim Cook’s Unfair and Unrealistic Privacy Speech, Strategy Credits, The Privacy Priority Probl...2015-06-061h 09ExponentExponentEpisode 044 — Up in the Clouds with TwitterIn this week’s episode Ben and James discuss why Twitter needs new leadership, its massive potential, and why Google probably should acquire it Links Ben Thompson: Twitter Needs New Leadership – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Twitter’s Marketing Problem – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Facebook and the Feed – Stratechery Ev Williams: Sometimes Things Stay Stuck – Medium Ben Thompson: Twitter Acquires MoPub – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Peak Google – Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @benthompson, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback 2015-04-301h 07ExponentExponentEpisode 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 Ben Thompson: Pleco...2014-12-121h 13ExponentExponentEpisode 024: A Celebratory Goblet of ChampagneThe idea for Exponent was hatched when Ben and James were arguing about Ben’s article What Clayton Christensen Got Wrong a year ago. In this episode, we finally reach a resolution to the question about how Apple escapes disruption. Plus, whether or not Xiaomi is a threat to Apple, personal development philosophies, and more (sorry, we went a bit long…) Links Ben Thompson: How Apple Creates Leverage, and the Future of Apple Pay – Stratechery John Siracusa: OS X 10.10 Yosemite: The Ars Technica Review (Conclusion) – ArsTechnica Ben Thompson: What Clayton Christensen Got Wrong – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Growing Ap...2014-11-071h 26ExponentExponentEpisode 022: Peak Google, Monologue EditionIn this week’s episode Ben and James discuss Ben’s article “Peak Google” and the future of advertising. Links Ben Thompson: Peak Google – Stratechery Benedict Evans: The Irrelevance of Microsoft – Ben-Evans.com Peter Kriss: The Value of Customer Experience, Quantified – Harvard Business Review Ben Thompson: Mobile Makes Facebook Just an App; That’s Great News – Stratechery Ben Thompson: I Love the Blackberry Passport (on Generic Strategies) – Stratechery (members-only) Ben Thompson: The Cord-Cutting Fantasy – Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback 2014-10-2459 minExponentExponentEpisode 020: I Want You to be WrongIn this week’s episode Ben and James discuss the problems with Ello’s business model, James’ discomfort with Facebook, and why Social Networks always have ads. We also talk about incentives and something surprising Ben learned from the notorious Episode 18. Links Ben Thompson: Ello and Consumer Friendly Business Models – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Facebook Launches Atlas – Stratechery (members-only) Ben Thompson: Friction – Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback 2014-10-031h 08