Online insurance company ZhongAn was the first mover in “digital meets insurance” in China. A strategy Ant Financial would later refer to in its IPO filing as “InsureTech”. And in both the ZhongAn and Ant cases, we saw: An awesome digital strategy and vision in a very big market. Limited traction after years of effort. […]
In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses how revenue scale and operating leverage differ for software and AI companies. He argues that software companies can achieve economies of scale more easily than AI companies, which can lead to higher profit margins. Towson also discusses the importance of data and talent for AI companies, and how these factors can affect their ability to scale.
I have listed 5 types of platform business models: Marketplace and transaction platforms (e.g., Taobao, Meituan, Lazada) Innovation and audience-builder platforms (e.g., YouTube, TikTok, Android) Collaboration / coordination and standardization platforms (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams, Adobe) Payment platforms (e.g., MasterCard, Alipay) Learning platforms Here are examples of the first two. But I have not really […]
In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses four problems with Michael Porter’s Five Forces framework. He argues that the framework does not work for dynamic and non-classical strategy terrains, platforms and ecosystems, SMILE marathon dimensions, particularly innovation, and the emergence of a connected, digital world.
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.
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.
In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses the importance of innovation in the tech industry. He talks about how Elon Musk has been a successful innovator, and how Android has become the dominant design in the mobile operating system market. He also discusses the challenges of innovation, and how companies can overcome them.
I spent Singles’ Day 2017 visiting Alibaba and meeting with management (see Part 1 and Part 2 here). And one big highlight of the visit was a group influencer dinner with Alibaba Vice-Chairman and co-founder Joseph Tsai. He was always the guy I listened to about Alibaba. Jack Ma is famous but doesn’t really speak the language […]
In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses the emerging art of ecosystem management. He argues that ecosystems are more important than platforms in the digital economy, and that companies need to focus on orchestrating and managing their ecosystems in order to succeed. He compares Alibaba’s ecosystem to Android’s, and argues that both companies have been successful because they have created ecosystems that are open and collaborative.
In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson argues that the term “Alibaba ecosystem” is misleading, and that the company’s success is better explained by its focus on collaboration-based industries and business models. He discusses the importance of open and inclusive ecosystems, and provides examples of other companies that have been successful by following this approach. For example, Towson cites the success of Android, which has become the world’s most popular mobile operating system by creating an open and inclusive ecosystem that allows developers to create apps for a wide range of devices.