Just a moment...
This raises broader questions about the tech ecosystem and its investment model. I’ve been making the case for a long time that the natural endpoint is likely very large platforms and Aggregators on one-side, and a flourishing ecosystem focused on niches on the other, but implicit in the latter is that venture capital is not simply unncessary, it i... See more
Ben Thompson • Brandless Closes, The DTC Facebook Challenge, DTC Versus Softbank
There’s a lot on the line. When a new product leverages a network effect to build an ecosystem around it, adjacent industries can be disrupted quickly.
Andrew Chen • The Cold Start Problem: How to Start and Scale Network Effects
The success of the next decade can't be only defined by the level of consumer spending, we will need common spaces of culture that can hold us together, and brands can play a role in making that happen.
Matt Klein • 3_TRENDS_Vol.5: Florencia Lujani: Private Citizens, Sub vs. Counterculture + Degrowth Economics
More positively, establishing a track record through proof of passion may finally enable a scalable business model for independent cool-hunters and curators. Those who consistently invest in overlooked and underappreciated items that then wildly succeed will be sought after. Marketers and algorithms will surveil their purchases, swarming in after. ... See more
Jonathan Glick • Proof of Passion
9. The new big brands are open-source NFT projects are similarly dictated as much by their holders as their creators, if not more. Because of their prominence, CryptoPunks and Bored Ape Yacht Club are decentralized lifestyle brands, like Supreme, Louis Vuitton, or Rolex. Bored Ape holders can use their ape as a free-floating symbol, even as a way t... See more