The Critical Path #109: Google Ventures

Horace builds on his discussion of Google from the previous episode in light of the Nest acquisition news. We also look at the relatively unreported news regarding China lifting its 13-year ban on game consoles and the variables it introduces to a “big niche” industry.

via 5by5 | The Critical Path #109: Google Ventures.

The Critical Path #108: Chief Magical Officer

With new ChromeOS and Chromebook data, Horace returns us to the topic of Google. How do they define and view their customers, products, and businesses? Who actually serves whom? What user data is collected, how is it used, and why?

via 5by5 | The Critical Path #108: Chief Magical Officer.

The Critical Path #106: Can Bitcoin Be Money?

This the the first of hopefully a series of talks on Bitcoin. The hope is to assess it as a disruption but first we need to understand the differences between a store of wealth, a currency and money. Then we need to understand what jobs each of these is hired to do and whether Bitcoin is better or worse than the incumbents and whether it has “headroom” to get better in those cases where it’s not good enough.

via 5by5 | The Critical Path #106: Can Bitcoin Be Money?.

The Critical Path #103: The Amazon Electric Car

A history of retail as a series of innovations in transportation. How to think about Amazon in a continuum of changing consumer behavior. The source of Amazon’s market power and its hypothetical disruption. What would Amazon do and not do to improve its business.

via 5by5 | The Critical Path #103: The Amazon Electric Car.

(Note:  This recording took place a few days before  Amazon announced the drone-based Prime Air prototype service.)

The Critical Path #102: The Advertiser’s Dilemma

A history of Cinema as seen through disruptive lenses. How did the medium evolve from novelty to experimentation to establishment of a predominant business model to concentration of power, regulation and ultimate stagnation. How to measure “performance” of a medium via the median age of the audience and how that affects the advertiser’s calculus.

via 5by5 | The Critical Path #102: The Advertiser’s Dilemma.

Cubed Episode 010: The Process of Innovation

I joined Benedict Evans and Ben Bajarin on their Cubed podcast to discuss innovation and cultures that breed innovation. We also discuss some updates on our thinking of the curious case of the android tablet ghosts toward the end.

Show Notes

The Meaning of Really Cheap Android

The Innovators Curse

Dark Matter

Android as the Platform For Commodity Electronics

Harvard Business Review – How Pixar Fosters Collective Creativity  (subscription required)

via Cubed Episode 010: The Process of Innovation | Cubed Podcast.

The Critical Path #101: The Genie is Out

The fascination with highly visible but largely unknown business models continues. How do infomercials work? What is the value of fashion? How can you make money when no creative idea can be protected? Why is Apple building a sapphire manufacturing facility? It’s all part of a pattern.

via 5by5 | The Critical Path #101: The Genie is Out.