
Exponent
A podcast about tech and society, hosted by Ben Thompson and James Allworth
Latest episodes

Mar 14, 2015 • 1h 15min
Episode 037 – Apple Watch, Take Two
In this week’s episode Ben and James discuss the recent Apple Event, including the MacBook and Apple Watch
Links
Ben Thompson: Mobile First – Stratechery
Ben Thompson: “Geeks are not just unqualified to explain the new MacBook, they’re anti-qualified” – Twitter
Ben Thompson: How Apple Will Make the Wearable Market – Stratechery
Matthew Panzarino: The Apple Watch is Time, Saved – TechCrunch
“Really” Windows Phone commercial – YouTube
David Platt: Apple iPhone Debut to Flop, Product to Crash in Flames – Suckbusters
Hosts
Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery
James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review
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Feb 27, 2015 • 1h 14min
Episode 036 – Tradeoffs
In this week’s episode Ben and James discuss tradeoffs in the context of net neutrality, AT&T’s new gigabit service, and Lenovo’s Superfish debacle
Note: when talking about the history of cable, Ben kept saying “companies” instead of “communities.” Sorry for the confusion!
Links
Ben Thompson: Netflix and Net Neutrality – Stratechery
Ben Thompson: Net Neutrality! (analyzing the current proposal) – Stratechery (members-only)
This Week in Tech: Superfishy – Twit.TV
Ben Thompson: Lenovo’s Superfish Debacle, AT&T Prices Privacy – Stratechery (members-only)
Jon Matonis: Silent Circle And Vertu Partner On $10,000 Phone – Forbes
Hosts
Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery
James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review
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Feb 16, 2015 • 1h 17min
Episode 035 – Fascinating
We apologize for the late delivery of this podcast!
In this week’s episode Ben and James discuss why Apple is so fascinating, why the Mac lost to Windows, debate whether or not Google should have open-sourced Android, and discussed the implications of Apple’s new market – your entire life
Also, please note that there will no episode later this week due to Chinese New Year.
Links
John Gruber: Dazzling Results – Daring Fireball
Ben Thompson: Apple’s New Market – Stratechery
Rita McGrath: The End of Competitive Advantage – Kindle
Ben Thompson: The Uncanny Valley of a Functional Organization – Stratechery
Hosts
Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery
James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review
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Feb 6, 2015 • 1h 28min
Episode 034 – The Story of Stratechery
This is the story of Stratechery, presented with much sheepishness on Ben’s part. How Ben thought about the market, his business model, and more. We apologize that this is a little long and perhaps a bit choppy. It’s hard to talk about us!
Links
Andrew Sullivan: A Note to my Readers – The Dish
Ezra Klein: What Andrew Sullivan’s Exit Says About the Future of Blogging – Vox
Ben Thompson: Blogging’s Bright Future – Stratechery
Ben Thompson: Dear Zoë Keating: Tell YouTube to Take a Hike – Stratechery
Taylor Swift: For Taylor Swift, the Future of Music is a Love Story – Wall Street Journal
Hosts
Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery
James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review
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Jan 30, 2015 • 1h 1min
Episode 033 – Apple Fans and the Future
We discuss Apple’s recent results, why analysts get Apple wrong, the fraught nature of fans, epistemic closure, and whether the iPhone can continue to grow.
Links
Ben Thompson: Bad Assumptions – Stratechery
Ben Thompson: Apple the Black Swan – Stratechery
Ben Thompson: Best – Stratechery
Ben Thompson: Smartphone Truths and Samsung’s Inevitable Decline – Stratechery
James Allworth: Who Cares if Samsung Copied Apple? – Harvard Business Review (note: due to a website redesign the comments have been lost)
Marco Arment: Apple Has Lost the Functional High Ground – Marco.org
Marco Arment: What It’s Like to be too Popular for a Day – Marco.org
Ben Thompson: iCloud and Apple’s Founding Myth – Stratechery
Epistemic Closure – Wikipedia
‘Epistemic Closure’? Those Are Fighting Words – New York Times
Ben Thompson: Two Bears – Stratechery
Ben Thompson: The End of Trickle-Down Technology – Stratechery
Loyalty Gives Apple the Edge Over Android – AllThingsD
Hosts
Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery
James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review
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Jan 23, 2015 • 1h 7min
Episode 032 – Follow-up and Frustration (Updated)
Note: I originally uploaded the wrong file. The correct file is 1:07 long, not 1:17. I am reposting this as many podcast clients download the file immediately.
We briefly follow-up on last week’s copyright discussion, discuss Ben’s article on what the technology adoption curve gets wrong about Apple and Xiaomi, and then react to Microsoft’s Windows 10 (and Project HoloLens) presentation
Links
Stratechery Forum Discussion about Episode 30: Flabbergasted – Stratechery Forums (members-only)
Ben Thompson: The End of Trickle-Down Technology – Stratechery
Ben Thompson: Part 1 of an Interview with Xiaomi VP of International Hugo Barra on India and Xiaomi’s Strategy and Target Customer – Stratechery (members-only)
Ben Thompson: Microsoft’s Windows 10 Event (and Project HoloLens) – Stratechery (members-only)
Ben Thompson: It’s Time to Split Up Microsoft – Stratechery
Ben Thompson: Face in not the Future – Stratechery
Ben Thompson: Christmas Gifts for Microsoft, Intel, Amazon – Stratechery
Hosts
Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery
James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review
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Jan 16, 2015 • 1h 18min
Episode 031 – Flabbergasted
James thinks the idea of copyright is outdated and should be abolished. Ben is, well, see the title.
Hosts
Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery
James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review
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Jan 9, 2015 • 58min
Episode 030 – Xiaomi
Ben and James discuss Xiaomi’s ambition to own the home, why we’re frustrated with patents, why the West is unfair to the developing world, and what makes China unique.
Links
Jordan Lewis: Exponent Bingo – Twitter
Ben Thompson: Xiaomi’s Ambition – Stratechery
Ben Thompson: Handicapping the Internet of Things – Stratechery
When Charles Dickens fell out with America – BBC
To Live (The film about the Cultural Revolution) – Wikipedia
Hosts
Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery
James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review
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Dec 19, 2014 • 1h 9min
Episode 029 – Drones
Ben and James discuss the problems with drones, how they could be used for terrorism, and how you balance upside and downside.
Links
Felix Salmon: Whither Nanopublishing? – Medium
James Allworth: Thinking Twice About Drones – Stratechery (Members-only)
FBI: Man plotted to fly drone-like toy planes with bombs into school – CBS News
Warthox with Warpquad the fastest Quadrocopter in the Universe – YouTube
Mark Manson: Five Lessons from Five Years of Traveling the World – MarkManson.net
Hosts
Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery
James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review
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Dec 12, 2014 • 1h 13min
Episode 028: Squirrel!
Ben and James discuss the recent App Store controversy and how a person – or company’s – greatest strength is also their greatest weakness. Plus a special 2nd recording about the Harvard business school professor and the Chinese restaurant.
Links
Cabel Sasser: Transmit iOS 1.1.1 [Updated] – Panic blog
Greg Gardner: Launcher Followup and Thoughts on the App Store Review System – Cromulent Labs
Ben Thompson: App Store Anguish, Old Apple’s Last Stand, Time for a Change? – Stratechery (members-only)
Ben Thompson: Why Doesn’t Apple Enable Sustainable Businesses on the App Store? – Stratechery
Ben Thompson: The Diminished iPad – Stratechery
Ben Thompson: Pleco: Building a Business, Not an App – Stratechery
Ben Thompson: Uber and Portland, Uber and India – Stratechery (members-only)
Sriram Krishnan: In defense of Uber in India – Medium
Ben Thompson: Best – Stratechery
Ben Thompson: What Steve Jobs Wouldn’t Have Done – Stratechery
Ben Edelman: Google’s Advertising Labeling in 2014 – BenEdelman.org
Ben Edelman: Facebook Leaks Usernames, User IDs, and Personal Details to Advertisers – BenEdelman.org
Who is Ben Edelman, Sheriff of the (Chinese Food) Internet? – Boston.com
Making Delicious Cocktails with America’s Best Bartender – GQ
Hosts
Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery
James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review
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