121
The Uber Conflation
It’s easy to conflate criticism of Uber’s regulatory approach with accusations about the company’s culture. That is CEO Travis Kalanick’s responsibility; it’s also a f…
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
122
An Interview with Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger
An interview with Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger about IDM 2.0, the acquisition of Tower Semiconductor, and the choices Intel did not make.
123
The Great Bifurcation
Tracing the evolution of tech’s three eras, and why the fourth era — the Metaverse — is defined by its bifurcation with the physical world.
124
DALL-E, the Metaverse, and Zero Marginal Content
Machine-learning generated content has major implications on the Metaverse, because it brings the marginal cost of production to zero.
125
Stripe: Platform of Platforms
Stripe’s announcement of Treasury — banking-as-a-service — manifests the breadth of the company’s ambition.
126
Microsoft’s Monopoly Hangover
There are striking similarities between Microsoft today and IBM in the Lou Gerstner era, but today’s IBM should be a warning to Redmond.
127
The Future of Podcasting
Podcasting is stuck between the open model of the past and the push for monetization in the future. Might there be a third way that actually benefits publishers?
128
The Dropbox Comp
Dropbox has filed its S-1, but comparisons with Box, Atlassian, and Slack demonstrate how difficult it is to tell just how good its business is.
129
The Reality of Missing Out
Tech is entering a period of inequality where the big winners lift the sector as a whole even as smaller companies suffer. The best example is Facebook, Google, and digital advertising.
130
Apple’s Errors
Apple’s management made three errors that led to the restatement of revenue; those errors, though, suggest that the company’s business is in better shape than it appears.
131
Data Factories
Facebook and Google and other advertising businesses are data factories, and regulation will be most effective if it lets users look inside
132
The Lightness of Windows
The Windows 11 announcement was fun and interesting, but there is a reason that Windows is no longer the center of Microsoft’s business.
133
Facebook Lenses
Facebook was down dramatically after its last earnings; to decide if it is justified it is worth looking at the company through many different lenses, both financial and strategic.
134
Apple at Its Best
Apple’s original competitive advantage — the integration of hardware and software — is more durable than disruption theory would suggest.
135
Sovereign writers and Substack
Substack is at the center of media controversy, most of which misses the point that sovereign writers — not Substack — are in control.
136
Google and Ambient Computing
Google presented a vision of ambient computing that goes beyond the smartphone. The company is well-placed, but faces challenges both in the marketplace and in the mirror.
137
The Web’s Missing Interoperability
Truly unlocking competition in tech means increasing interoperability; an absolutist approach to privacy is doing the exact opposite.
138
Internet 3.0 and the Beginning of (Tech) History
The actions taken by Big Tech have a resonance that goes beyond the context of domestic U.S. politics. Even if they were right, they will still push the world to Internet 3.0.
139
The Great Flattening
Apple’s iPad ad might not have been good for Apple, but it was a profound encapsulation of what has happened on the Internet; the question is what it leads to next.
140
Google's new business model
Excepting the patent and panic-driven Motorola deal, prior to yesterday’s acquisition of Nest for $3.2 billion, the previous largest deal Google’s history was DoubleClick for $3.1 billi…
141
Twitter, Responsibility, and Accountability
Twitter went too far last week for reasons that go back to 2016 and the unfair blaming of tech for media’s mistakes.
142
The iPhone and Apple's Services Strategy
Apple’s annual iPhone event may have marked Apple’s true shift into being a Services company
143
Facebook Political Problems
Facebook’s political problems stem directly from its size and drive for growth; they are societal issues, not antitrust ones.
144
The Antitrust Hearing, the Role of Congress, CEO Questions
Congress is exactly where discussions about tech and society should be happening. Then, a list of questions for every tech CEO.
145
Manifestos and Monopolies
Facebook has long had too much power, but Mark Zuckerberg’s expressed willingness to use said power for political ends means it’s time to consider countermeasures.
146
It's OpenAI's world, we're just living in it
The best Stratechery content from the week of October 6, 2025, including OpenAI’s Windows strategy, Sam Altman and boundless ambition, and the future of creation.
147
The Four Horsemen of the Tech Recession
Tech is increasingly divorced from the real economy thanks to the COVID hangover and Apple’s App Tracking Transparency
148
Apple's New Market
If the importance of an integrated experience matter more with your phone than your PC, because you use it more, how much more important is an integrated experience that touches every detail of you…
149
Compaq and Coronavirus
Compaq’s descent from a company of action to a brand is a frightening parable for the the West’s focus on talk over action.
150
China, Leverage, and Values
If there is a new tech cold war, it is one with shots fired over a decade ago, largely by China. The questions going forward are about both leverage and values.