31
It's a Tesla
Tesla is not a disruptor, but then again, neither is Apple, the closest comp: both succeed by building a brand around being the best.
Ben Thompson
On the business, strategy, and impact of technology.
- Popular posts
- 180
- Total points
- 43,593
- HN comments
- 32,136
- Rank
- #6 personal
Visit stratechery.com → On Hacker News May 2013 – Oct 2026
Tech Industry & Business 180Society, Policy & Culture 48AI & Machine Learning 21Hardware & Electronics 17Career & Management 7Security & Privacy 4
32
Cloudflare on the edge
Cloudflare is uniquely positioned to become a major player in an Internet 3.0 world, where politics matter more than economics.
33
OpenAI models coming to Amazon Bedrock: Interview with OpenAI and AWS CEOs
An interview with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and AWS CEO Matt Garman about their new partnership, plus my thoughts on OpenAI and Microsoft’s new deal.
34
The Intel Split
It appears that Intel’s partnership with TSMC is much larger than it first seemed; the implications for Intel as whole are massive.
35
Apple and Facebook
Apple and Facebook seem like they are in conflict, but have often been each other’s best partners.
36
Facebook Shouldn’t Be Allowed to Buy Tbh
Facebook is acquiring tbh, another burgeoning social network; regulators erred in allowing the Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions, but there is no better place to start enforcing the law than now.
37
Facebook, Libra, and the Long Game
Libra is less about an immediate benefit to Facebook, and more about creating a world where companies like Facebook have the best chance to prosper. That is why Facebook gave up so much control.
38
Instagram, TikTok, and the Three Trends
Trends in medium, AI, and user interaction underpin Instagram’s response to TikTok, and will determine Meta’s long-term moat.
39
Facebook and the Cost of Monopoly
Facebook gave one of the worst keynotes in a long time: there was no vision, just the adoption of Snap’s. It’s the inevitable outcome of a monopoly.
40
The Uber Dilemma
Benchmark’s lawsuit against Uber is extraordinary; that is because Uber, despite everything, remains an extraordinary company. Game theory explains the implications.
41
Apple and a hacker's future
I was happy for years in Apple’s walled garden; with AI, however, their protections feel like limitations.
42
Amazon’s New Customer
The key to understanding Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods is to understand that Amazon didn’t buy a retailer: the company bought a customer.
43
Apple's Shifting Differentiation
Apple is about the integration of hardware and software, but the balance between the two has shifted over time.
44
Netflix's New Chapter
Netflix waited out Blockbuster with better economics, and it’s seeking to do the same with its competitors today; the key to the company’s differentiation, though, is increasingly creat…
45
Amazon Go and the Future
Amazon Go exemplifies how Amazon is building its monopoly in three ways: horizontally, vertically, and financially. Plus, why automation is worth being optimistic about.
46
Amazon Health
Amazon Health doesn’t seem like much now, but there are hints it could be the ultimate application of Aggregation Theory.
47
Nvidia’s Integration Dreams
Nvidia’s acquisition of ARM only makes sense from a financial perspective, unless you buy Jensen Huang’s datacenter dreams.
48
Alexa: Amazon's Operating System
Money is made at chokepoints, and the most valuable chokepoints are operating systems; Amazon is building exactly that with Alexa.
49
Dust in the Light
The Internet ends gatekeepers and increases transparency, which has world-altering effects — both good and bad.
50
Non-Fungible Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift, like Dave Chappelle, is leveraging the power of the Internet to take control of their art.
51
Intel Unleashed, Gelsinger on Intel, IDM 2.0
New Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger delivered a keynote with the right strategy, the right tactics, and most importantly, the right spirit to return Intel to success.
52
New Defaults
The pandemic and vaccine rollout have highlighted where the West has lost its way; we need new defaults about information, change, and speed.
53
Why Twitter Must Be Saved
First, a reposting of an old Stratechery article, Rebuilding the World Technology Destroyed. Then, why Twitter is an essential antidote to Facebook and must be preserved.
54
From Bing to Sydney
More on Bing, particularly the Sydney personality undergirding it: interacting with Sydney has made me completely rethink what conversational AI is important for.
55
Google, Nvidia, and OpenAI
OpenAI and Nvidia are both under threat from Google; I like OpenAI’s chances best, but they need an advertising model to beat Google as an Aggregator.
56
An interview with AMD CEO Lisa Su about solving hard problems
An interview with AMD CEO Lisa Su about her path to AMD, turning around the chip maker, the AI opportunity, and competing with Nvidia.
57
The WeWork IPO
The WeWork IPO is defined by audaciousness and excess, all of which is driven by unlimited access to capital.
58
What Is a Tech Company?
The question of “What is a tech company” comes down to how much software and its unique characteristics affects the company’s core business.
59
Meta
Facebook’s reorganization into Meta is the ultimate bet on the power of founder control.
60
Tech’s Two Philosophies
Google and Facebook represent one philosophy, and Microsoft and Apple represent another; tech needs both, but ultimately platforms are more important than aggregators.