What Ant Financial Tells Us About Square’s Future. (US-Asia Tech Strategy – Daily Update)

The market capitalization Square has exceed $100B, which makes it about 1/3 of what Ant Financial / Group was expected to list at (prior to delay). Both companies are using platform business models to invade and expand the payment and financial services space. Fortunately, Ant is further along this trajectory and offers some interesting insights […]

4 Problems with Hamilton Helmer’s 7 Powers (Tech Strategy – Podcast 62)

In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses four problems with Hamilton Helmer’s 7 Powers framework. He argues that the framework is too simplistic, does not account for the role of technology, and does not take into account the different competitive dynamics in different industries.

What Ant Financial Tells Us About the Future of Square. Plus, Why The External View Is So Hard in Digital. (Tech Strategy – Podcast 61)

In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses what Ant Financial’s success can tell us about the future of Square. He argues that Square’s growth will be driven by its ability to use its payment platform to build a wider ecosystem of financial services. He also discusses why it is so difficult to predict the future of digital businesses.

Tesla vs. Nio – And Why First Mover Advantage in Tech Can Suck. (Tech Strategy – Podcast 60)

In the tech industry, being a first mover does not always guarantee success. In this episode of Jeff’s Asia Tech Class podcast, Jeff Towson discusses the advantages and disadvantages of being a first mover, and argues that later entrants can often have an advantage.

Message to Followers and Subscribers About the Course Going Forward

Hi everyone, After months of discussion with subscribers, I’m splitting the course into two more focused services. One service for tech investors. One service for those more interested in executive education in digital strategy. It turns out the audience for this course really is somewhat split between two sets of interests. By creating more focused […]

Airbnb is Going to Get Crushed in China / Asia. Rethink Your Valuation. (Tech Strategy – Podcast 59)

In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses why he believes Airbnb will struggle to compete in Asia. He cites the following reasons: (1) Airbnb’s business model is not well-suited for the Asian market, (2) Airbnb faces stiff competition from local rivals, and (3) Airbnb’s valuation is too high.