I have one B2C “super chart”. It’s a bit ridiculous but stick with me. I think it is actually a good prediction of the future of B2C. The basic idea is that ecommerce is combining with entertainment. We see that in Taobao Live and TikTok already. And this is also being combined with social media […]
The recently merged Gojek and Tokopedia (i.e., GoTo) has gone public in Indonesia. And I finally got a look at their filings (thanks to a subscriber who sent me a translated copy). GoTo is basically what you would expect. It’s a marketplace platform for local services (i.e., Gojek) combined with a marketplace for products (i.e., […]
Grab is a Southeast Asian ride-hailing and food delivery platform that is generating operating cash flow in the digital age. Its two complementary marketplace platforms, mobility and food delivery, share consumers and data to lower costs and increase profits. Grab is positioned to be a leader in the digital operating cash flow space.
Southeast Asian tech giant Grab is facing a difficult choice: should it focus on profitability or growth? This article explores the pros and cons of each strategy and discusses the potential outcomes for Grab. Ultimately, the decision of whether to focus on profitability or growth will depend on a number of factors, including the company’s financial situation, its competitive landscape, and its long-term goals.
Southeast Asia unicorn Grab is now public via a SPAC merger with Altimeter Growth Corp. The company trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “GRAB”. This is a really interesting company. There is a tremendous amount to like about its business. It has 2-3 platform business models that have strong-to-dominant positions in SE Asia: […]
In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses how Uniswap’s protocol is a threat to Coinbase’s PPH marketplace. He argues that Uniswap is more decentralized and efficient than Coinbase, and that it is likely to attract more users and liquidity. Ultimately, the success of Uniswap and Coinbase will depend on a number of factors, including the adoption of decentralized finance, the regulatory environment, and the competition from other exchanges.
Ping An is the quiet digital giant of China. It began as an insurance company. Then it added a wealth management company. Then it added a bank. And now it is focusing on healthcare. And, along the way, it became a full tech company. It’s right up there with Alibaba, ByteDance and the others. I […]
In his latest Tech Strategy podcast, Jeff Towson delves into how digitalization is revolutionizing traditional barriers to entry. Drawing from his new book, ‘Moats and Marathons’, Towson examines six levels of competition, particularly focusing on those assets that can’t be easily built, bought, or transferred. From reputation and loyalty to unique technological capabilities, this episode offers a deep dive into the realities of competing in the digital age.
In Part 1, I went through the basics of Nubank, which is building a digital bank in Latin America. And you can make an analogy between the first digital bank and the first online travel sites. In both cases: A digital business model was taking on long-established physical business models. Digital economics enabled a far […]
A few months ago, I wrote about Stone Co, which is one of the new digital natives rising in Latin America. My thinking on Stone Co is that the company is mostly serving SMEs with a split focus on financial services and enterprise software and services. That is a bit confusing. And their operations reflect […]