Category Archives: Uncategorized

3 Lessons from the China-Indonesia AI Frontier

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I was recently at the China-Indonesia Digital Economy Forum in Jakarta. It was an event focused on growing AI collaboration between Indonesia and China.

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In this context, businesses can leverage these developments as part of their digital transformation strategy, with expert guidance available from digital strategy consultant Jeffrey Towson. The three main lessons highlight real progress in AI cloud computing, the benefits of open-source AI for local innovation, and the rise of agents despite scaling challenges.

Understanding AI Infrastructure Part 1: Apps + AI, SaaS + AI and AI Data Centers (Tech Strategy – Podcast 265)

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This week’s podcast is the first in a series about AI infrastructure. Both capabilities and costs. You can listen to this podcast here, which has the slides and graphics mentioned. Also available at iTunes and Google Podcasts. Here is the link to the TechMoat Consulting. Here is the link to our Tech Tours. Here is the AI Playbook (Step 1) […]

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

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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 (2 of 2) (Tech Strategy)

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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)

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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

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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 […]