The Vergecast Quibi is shutting down / Google faces antitrust charges / Foxconn’s LCD factory is Wisconsin isn’t real
Oct 23, 2020
Julia Alexander, a journalist at The Verge, discusses the downfall of Quibi, revealing the reasons behind its closure and the challenges in the streaming landscape. Adi Robertson dives into the U.S. government's antitrust charges against Google, highlighting the implications for the tech industry. Josh Dzieza investigates the troubled Foxconn factory in Wisconsin, exposing the gap between ambitious plans and reality. Together, they provide insights into tech failures and regulatory challenges that shape our digital world.
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Quibi's Downfall
- Quibi, a short-form video service, shut down after failing to gain traction.
- It had high production costs but struggled to compete with free platforms like TikTok and YouTube.
Quibi's Business Model
- Quibi's high content cost ($100,000/minute) and lower pricing than Netflix was a flawed business model.
- Their late adoption of features like screenshotting and a free tier contributed to their failure.
Pandemic's Impact
- While the pandemic accelerated existing trends, Quibi's competitors also benefited from this shift.
- Quibi's downfall was not entirely due to the pandemic, but their failure to understand the current media landscape.