Sam Blumenthal

What is revolutionary about on-demand streaming in general and Netflix in particular is that the service has commoditized time: on Netflix Sunday at 9pm is no different than Tuesday at 11am or Friday at 6pm; there is no prime time. Thus Netflix will release original series all at once, because why not? Best to maximize the number of minutes over... See more

The new gaming features are integrated into the experience of browsing. The Treasure Spin appears at the top of a customer’s feed in the Tophatter app, and the skins they win are visible to all of the bidders on a particular product. “If you have time to spare and you’re looking for what to do in that time, we want to be top of mind in terms of a... See more

Bitcoin is currently not a medium of exchange other than in a few niche cases. The declining number of Bitcoin transactions per day and the spikes in execution costs bear no resemblance to any functioning fiat currency. As a result, a Bitcoin valuation thesis based on it being used as a medium of exchange makes little sense, at least as Bitcoin... See more

On Listening to the Private Markets, Amazon Aggregators & More

The average time users spend on Versihop has gone up 50% since the live video update, and the streams are generating a 4x higher conversion than the overall rate. Khan views video as a means of helping shoppers to discover the independent brands the platform specializes in. Verishop does not provide user or sales numbers, but its base is 80% female... See more

“Influencers, they understand their community,” Bogliari said, which makes the viewing experience feel more personalized, and could then lead to higher conversion rates. He added that influencers make livestream shopping “more relatable and appear less commercial.”

+ Thesis on Hyperpigmentation & The 'Beyond Acne' Consumer