JD Goes International in Increasingly Smart Logistics. (4 of 4) (Tech Strategy – Daily Article)

JD.com is one of China’s leading e-commerce platforms, but it also has ambitious plans to grow beyond its home market. In this article, Jeff Towson explores how JD is using its smart logistics network to enter and succeed in new regions, such as Southeast Asia, Europe, and Latin America. He also discusses the challenges and opportunities that JD faces in its global journey.

Uber’s China Adventure Has 4 Lessons for Tesla (Tech Strategy – Daily Article)

Uber China’s exit from the market has lessons for Tesla and Silicon Valley.
The company failed to overcome Didi Chuxing’s first-mover advantage, adapt to China’s mobile ecosystem, and navigate government regulation.
Learn from Uber China’s mistakes and avoid making the same ones in your own business.

When Will Didi Become Profitable? (Tech Strategy – Daily Article)

The Didi financials are finally out. And they are an interesting mix of good and bad. Didi has market dominance and tech leadership in the largest market for shared mobility. But it is also chronically unprofitable. For investors, this could be a fantastic opportunity. Because Didi’s ongoing losses will scare off investors and likely lower […]

Can Huawei’s HarmonyOS Break Android’s Monopoly? (Tech Strategy – Podcast 73)

In this episode of the Tech Strategy podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses whether Huawei’s HarmonyOS can break Android’s global dominance. He argues that HarmonyOS has several strengths, including its security features and its ability to run on a wide range of devices. However, he also notes that HarmonyOS faces several challenges, including the lack of app support and the fact that it is competing against an entrenched incumbent.

JD Central Plays the Long Game in Thailand and SE Asian Ecommerce (2 of 2)(Asia Tech Strategy – Daily Update)

In Part 1, I summarized my visit to a media event at JD Central (JDC) Thailand. And I teed up some of the difficulties for Chinese ecommerce giants trying to go international, especially in Southeast Asia. After the media event, I sat down with JD Central CEO Vincent Yang, which turned out to be a pretty […]

Cloud is the Big Unknown in Alibaba’s Growth (pt 2 of 2). (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Daily Lesson / Update)

This is Part 2 of two articles on Alibaba Investors Day. In Part 1 (Dissecting Alibaba’s 11 Growth Strategies), I wrote about their 5 growth strategies in “Domestic Consumption” (i.e., stuff Chinese consumers spend money on). But CEO Daniel Zhang also outlined 5 growth strategies for Alibaba Cloud. And their cloud business is what everyone has […]

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.

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 […]

From Big, Dumb Bureaucracies to Zero-Human Operations: The Holy Grail of the Digital Age (pt 1 of 2)

There was a good paper recently published by Martin Reeves and Raj Varadajaran of the Boston Consulting Group. The paper (When Resilience Is More Important Than Efficiency) touched on a lot of issues related to digital competition – but there was one chart that I thought really hit at the center of a lot of […]

4 Things Everyone Is Getting Wrong About Huawei’s 2019 Annual Report

Huawei released their 2019 financial results last week. And I had the opportunity to interview Karl Song, the VP of Corporate Communications, prior so I knew what was coming (but I got embargoed). You can see that interview here. And it was fascinating. Step back and consider what a truly crazy year Huawei had. Has […]