Quarterly earnings updates, AirBNB’s PR crisis, and an Alipay resolution
Quarterly Earnings Update A few search- and social-driven companies have reported their earnings this quarter. An update: Overstock.com had weak sales growth and lower gross margins, with a drop in...
View ArticleSkype meets GroupMe, software eats the world, Euro-Panda is live
Skype Buys GroupMe Skype has purchased group-texting service GroupMe for about $85mm, a nice exit for the year-and-a-half-old firm. It’s also an interesting combination: one of Skype’s big strengths is...
View ArticleZynga delays IPO, the real reason Google+ uses real names, and daily deal...
Zynga Delays IPO Zynga is not likely to IPO on time, mostly due to the dicey market situation (though why they didn’t announce this during the diciness is a mystery). Dan Primack argues that it’s not a...
View ArticleLink decay, low rankings but high clicks, and LinkedIn’s linkbait
You Like SEO More Than you Think Seth Godin is dubious about SEO. But only when you call it “SEO.” When it’s “linkbait” he’s a big fan. Godin is a very smart guy, so just imagine what typical marketers...
View ArticleBaidu’s borrowed OS strategy, outsourced apps, and Facebook’s liked un-likes
Baidu’s Cargo-Cult OS Strategy Google’s move into operating systems makes sense: reducing Microsoft’s leverage over them, and increasing the aggregate number of Internet users are both great for their...
View ArticleNetflix splits, caution on Facebook, and the decline of TechCrunch…
Netflix Splits DVDs and Streaming Netflix has split its DVD business from its streaming business, perhaps in anticipation of spinning off one or the other. In the announcement, Netflix’s CEO...
View ArticleGoogle+ the ghost town, the limits of retargeting, and Google’s weak hand
Meanwhile, at Google Congress is trying to figure out whether or not Google is a monopoly. This is some kind of high water mark. They’re pushing Google+ harder than any product since search, and it...
View ArticleA LivingSocial Credit Card, Attrition at AOL, and Netflix’s Odd SEO Angle
Google Updates Google’s new privacy policy is now in effect. Expect the sky to fall, or for all of your ads to be slightly better-targeted. Danny Sullivan points out that although Google+’s numbers...
View ArticlePlus VCs as lobbyists, what Groupon does to Yelp ratings, and why ads should...
VCs as Lobbyists One symptom of founders getting stronger relative to VCs is that VCs have been forced to expand their repertoire. YCombinator has an in-house designer, Sequoia has an in-house PR...
View ArticleComcast violates net neutrality, cell phone penetration, and 9GAG’s...
Automating the Herd Mentality Investing social network Roboinvest now allows users to copy one another’s trades with a single click. They’ve prudently limited this to small dollar values, but it’s...
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