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I'm reminded of how retailers once they cross a certain threshold of popularity and distribution penetration begin rolling out their own branded products. Amazo
by vishnugupta 6y ago
I'm reminded of how retailers once they cross a certain threshold of popularity and distribution penetration begin rolling out their own branded products. Amazon Basics is an example of that but is true of almost any medium/large retailer. I often wondered when will that happen with Apple/Google/Amazon. It does seem inevitable, in the hindsight.
Beyond a certain scale middle men's costs become non-trivial and hard to ignore. In case of Apple, though it is more than costs alone because they want end-to-end control of UX. By the looks of it processor had become a limiting factor in achieving that control.
Makes me wonder, processor is the lower layer in the stack. What about upper layers? Apple have already rolled out their credit card. Maybe their own cellular network? A new WiFi standard, perhaps?
- mtgx 6y agoPlatforms/marketplaces should never be allowed to promote and sell their own products and compete with their own customers. Period. It invites way too much conflict of interest to ever be a long-term net positive for either the platform itself or the end-consumers. This is a matter of law, it's never going to be fixed by the "free market."
- unishark 6y ago> I'm reminded of how retailers once they cross a certain threshold of popularity and distribution penetration begin rolling out their own branded products. Amazon Basics is an example of that but is true of almost any medium/large retailer. Conversely if brands become popular they open their own retail stores. The point is not not give your profits away to others if your business is the one bringing in the customers and margins, not them.
- vishnugupta 6y agoAbsolutely! Apple stores!!
- chungus_khan 6y agoThose who do not remember the Bell System are doomed to see it repeat in varying permutations.