Stratechery Coronavirus Clarity
Apr 14, 2020
Dive into the collaboration between tech giants aimed at improving COVID-19 contact tracing with a focus on privacy and public health. Unpack how these companies navigate user consent amid regulatory scrutiny and their impact on industry standards. Explore the vital role social media plays in crisis communication, fostering trust while challenging traditional media's reliance on experts. Discover how the pandemic reshaped the media landscape, highlighting the need for accountability and the evolving dynamics of information dissemination.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Tech Dominance
- Tech companies like Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Facebook set the rules in their domains.
- This dominance stems from their scale and the zero marginal costs of their core products, like software.
Silicon and Scale
- Silicon's near-zero cost has driven tech's focus on scale and massive fixed costs since Fairchild Semiconductor.
- This focus on scale leads to zero marginal costs and the importance of large fixed costs.
Big Five Dominance
- The Big Five tech companies leverage software's zero marginal cost and network effects to gain dominance.
- None of these strategies are traditionally illegal under antitrust law, but their impact is significant.
