Using the iPhone as an Example of a Functional Organization

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The value of being an integrated organization would probably be less if it was all broken apart and focused on division by product by product. If you want to do something like augmented reality on the phone, which is really using a whole bunch of different pieces in a very different way for a new application, it's going to be the integrated player. And it's probably more likely to have a functional aligment because they're able to grapple with thisvery new type of problem.

Ben and James discuss the downsides of monopoly, and Apple. Then, why there is no absolute answer when it comes to integration or modularization, and why different approaches require different types of organizations and different types of leaders.

Links

Ben Thompson: Integration and Monopoly — Stratechery
Ben Thompson: Facebook and the Cost of Monopoly — Stratechery
John Gruber: 16-Inch MacBook Pro First Impressions: Great Keyboard, Outstanding Speakers — Daring Fireball
Ben Thompson: Apple’s Organizational Crossroads — Stratechery
Ben Thompson: Why Microsoft’s Reorganization Is a Bad Idea — Stratechery

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