Sam Blumenthal

So the parsimonious mental model of an NFT based on what we’ve discussed so far is that it is a promiscuous and vacuous digital social object. A thing that contains no substance itself, not even reliable pointing properties, but has an identity and can be traded, transferred, mixed and matched indiscriminately with other things in a social context.

Pinterest’s latest new social commerce update gives influencers the ability to add shopping links within its Instagram Stories-style Idea Pins post format. As of July 27, talent (which Pinterest calls creators) can disclose paid partnerships and add tags to featured products that are in the platform’s product catalog, which was expanded by a... See more

Platforms like Taobao, owned by Alibaba, and WeChat function as both hybrids of social media and eCommerce platforms, essentially offering users a plethora of services from microblogging, messaging and online shopping, all in one experience. This interconnected economy of services means that live stream shopping is simply an extension of the... See more

According to Alibaba, as many as 400 company executives and 300 celebrities are holding livestreams during this year’s Singles Day. Pop singer Taylor Swift joined Chinese livestreaming megastar Huang Wei for a livestream last weekend ahead of Singles Day.

And with Escape Velocity, we see the emergence of the classic “Growth Team” that the big companies have.  Escape Velocity,  Goal: Scaling up growth across many efforts and channels,  Roadmap: Multiple growth strategies — primarily 2 or 3 — that work in concert to grow the product to millions or tens of millions of users,  Outcomes: Multiple... See more