My guest today is Dave Limp, the senior vice president of devices and services at Amazon – or, more simply, the guy in charge of Alexa. Dave’s group at Amazon also includes the Kindle e-reader, the Ring and Blink security camera systems, the Eero wifi router, and a host of other products that connect to Amazon services.
We wanted to know what the business behind Alexa looks like — Amazon sells Echo products at basically break even, it runs the Alexa for all of them for free, and it employs thousands of engineers who work on it. How does that make money? How might it make money in the future? How should we think about Alexa competing with other smart assistants, and for what kinds of business? The answers were not what you’d expect.
Links:
Why the global chip shortage is making it so hard to buy a PS5
Amazon's new Ring Alarm Pro combines a security system with an Eero Router
Say Hello to Astro, Alexa on wheels
Amazon is now accepting your applications for its home surveillance drone
Amazon Glow is a video chat gadget with built-in games to keep kids engaged
Amazon’s new Echo Show 15 is meant to hang on your wall
Amazon’s new Kindle Paperwhite adds a bigger screen, longer battery life, and USB-C
Amazon starts making its own TVs with new Fire TV Omni and 4-Series
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max review: the one to buy
How to connect Alexa to Spotify, Apple Music, and more
Amazon's race to create the disappearing computer
Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22483986
Credits:
This episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, Alexander Charles Adams, and Andru Marino. And we are edited by Callie Wright. Our music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
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