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 […]
In this episode of the Tech Strategy Podcast, Jeff Towson discusses how digital technology is wrecking havoc on traditional barriers to entry in the business world. He talks about how new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, are making it easier for startups to compete with established incumbents. He also discusses how the rise of digital platforms is changing the way businesses compete and interact with customers.
In Part 1, I detailed some of the basics of SenseTime, China’s leading computer vision company. I argued it was basically a linear business model, not a platform. It mostly reminds me of Adobe and traditional software companies. But the economics of AI software companies at large scale are still largely unknown. Especially when it […]
In Part 1, I discussed Snowflake and its compelling business model for a “data ecosystem”. I argued it was a collaboration (CCS) platform based on data intelligence. Plus some other stuff. And I also outlined 4 types of collaboration platforms, which were: Communication. Zoom, Slack, etc. Data Intelligence. Snowflake and Confluent Team Projects. Manual and […]
In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses two big questions about the business models of AI software companies: What are the unit economics of large AI companies? What types of scale advantages and network effects do large AI companies have? He argues that AI software companies are still in the early stages of development, and that the answers to these questions will depend on how the market for AI software evolves in the years to come.
In Part 1, I detailed some of the basics of SenseTime, China’s leading computer vision company. And I argued it was basically a linear business model, not a platform. It reminded me of Adobe and traditional software companies. But the economics of AI software companies at scale are still unknown. Especially when it is done […]
Chinese computer vision company SenseTime is now public. This was after years of setback after setback, including being placed on the US Treasury Department’s list of “Chinese military-industrial complex companies.” But it is now public in Hong Kong and it gives a fantastic look at the frontier of AI in China, especially computer vision. Why […]
In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson interviews Abel Deng, CEO of Huawei Thailand, about Huawei’s four big projects in Thailand. Deng discusses the importance of digital infrastructure in Thailand’s economic development and how Huawei is helping to build the country’s digital future. The four projects are:
Building a 5G network in Thailand
Developing a smart city in Bangkok
Investing in education and training
Supporting the development of startups
Last week, I went to the Huawei headquarters in Bangkok and interviewed Thailand CEO Abel Deng. It was a fascinating discussion and it really got me thinking about two questions: What is the next generation of digital infrastructure going to look like in SE Asia? What new digital businesses will this make possible? I’ve written […]
A moat is a competitive advantage that allows a company to generate sustainable profits. There are three levels of moat strength: competitive fortresses, competitive advantages, and competitive nuisances. Companies with strong moats are more likely to be successful in the long run.