The Tech Strategy Podcast

This week’s podcast is more about the fuzzy idea of ecosystems, which I call the new collaboration-based business business models. We have clear frameworks for pipelines and platforms. And linked business models and complementary platforms. I summarize some of the thinking by Peter Williamson, Michael Jacobides and BCG's article The Emerging Art of Ecosystem Management.You can listen to this podcast here or at iTunes, Google Podcasts and Himalaya.Related podcasts and articles:What is Alibaba’s Best Growth Strategy? (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 50)Forget the “Alibaba Ecosystem”. It’s About Collaboration-Based Industries and Business Models. (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 56)This is part of Learning Goals: Level 7, with a focus on:#30: Ecosystems vs. PlatformsConcepts for this class.Ecosystems vs. Digital PlatformsSMILE Marathon: Ecosystem Orchestration and ManagementLinked Business ModelsCompanies for this class:AlibabaAndroid———-I write, speak and consult about how to win (and not lose) in digital strategy and transformation.I am the founder of TechMoat Consulting, a boutique consulting firm that helps retailers, brands, and technology companies exploit digital change to grow faster, innovate better and build digital moats. Get in touch here.My book series Moats and Marathons is one-of-a-kind framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital businesses.Note: This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. Investing is risky. Do your own research.Support the show

Correction: I had Michael Jacobides' name incorrect throughout this episode. My apologies. Podcasting while sick may not have been my best idea.This week's podcast is about starting to take apart the fuzzy idea of ecosystems. We have clear frameworks for pipelines and platforms. And linkedin business models and complemntary platforms. But the ecosystem term is better thought of as collaboration-based industries and business models. I summarize some of the thinking by Peter Williamson, Michael Jacobides and BCG.You can listen to this podcast here or at iTunes, Google Podcasts and Himalaya.The slides mentioned are below.Related podcasts and articles:What is Alibaba’s Best Growth Strategy? (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 50)This is part of Learning Goals: Level 7, with a focus on:#30: Ecosystems vs. PlatformsConcepts for this class.Ecosystems vs. Digital PlatformsSMILE Marathon: Ecosystem Orchestration and ManagementCompanies for this class:Alibaba--------I write, speak and consult about how to win (and not lose) in digital strategy and transformation.I am the founder of TechMoat Consulting, a boutique consulting firm that helps retailers, brands, and technology companies exploit digital change to grow faster, innovate better and build digital moats. Get in touch here.My book series Moats and Marathons is one-of-a-kind framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital businesses.Note: This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. Investing is risky. Do your own research.Support the show

This podcast is more about the strange but important economics of digital. And on how digital economics can impact well-established competitive advantages like economies of scale. This is a continuation of Podcast 53.You can listen to this podcast here or at iTunes, Google Podcasts and Himalaya.Related podcasts and articles:Review: The Sexy But Dangerous Economics of Digital (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 15)Digital Economics II: Why Pricing Is Getting Both Complicated and Critical. (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 53)This is part of Learning Goals: Level 7, with a focus on:#29: Digital Economics IIConcepts for this class.Digital Information and EconomicsEconomies of ScaleMinimum Efficient Scale5 Scenarios Where Digital Impacts Economies of ScaleNetwork EffectsStandardization And Interconntections Network EffectsCompanies for this class:n/a———-I write, speak and consult about how to win (and not lose) in digital strategy and transformation.I am the founder of TechMoat Consulting, a boutique consulting firm that helps retailers, brands, and technology companies exploit digital change to grow faster, innovate better and build digital moats. Get in touch here.My book series Moats and Marathons is one-of-a-kind framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital businesses.Note: This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. Investing is risky. Do your own research.Support the show

These are my predictions for the biggest trends in digital China / Asia for 2020-2030. They are all underway already. And most of them are unique to China / Asia - so I don't think we will see them elsewhere. My prediction is:In 2020 – 2030, China / Asia will become the world's largest and most innovative digital ecosystem - with unmatched infrastructure and capabilities. And these the 5 trends I am watching for:China / Asia will become the smart devices leader as innovation in digital is combined with innovation in hardware.Smart IoT logistics platforms will emerge and connect consumers, retailers, businesses and others autonomously and in real-time.New Manufacturing will emerge in Asia that is flexible, efficient and connected.Smart cities will emerge and may become operating platforms.Digital finance may leapfrog the traditional banking and financial system.You can listen to this podcast here or at iTunes, Google Podcasts and Himalaya.This is part of Learning Goals: Level 7, with a focus on:#26: Advanced New RetailConcepts for this class.New RetailOnline Merge OfflineSmart IoT Logistics PlatformsChina Digital Consumer Network (CDCN)New ManufacturingCompanies for this class:XiaomiDJIXunxiCainiaoJD LogisticsInsta360 / Arashi Vision———-I write, speak and consult about how to win (and not lose) in digital strategy and transformation.I am the founder of TechMoat Consulting, a boutique consulting firm that helps retailers, brands, and technology companies exploit digital change to grow faster, innovate better and build digital moats. Get in touch here.My book series Moats and Marathons is one-of-a-kind framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital businesses.Note: This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. Investing is risky. Do your own research.Support the show

This podcast is more about the strange but important economics of digital. And on pricing, in particular. It is becoming increasingly complicated with bundling, switching costs and platform business models.You can listen to this podcast here or at iTunes, Google Podcasts and Himalaya.Related podcasts and articles:Review: The Sexy But Dangerous Economics of Digital (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 15)This is part of Learning Goals: Level 7, with a focus on:#29: Digital Economics IIConcepts for this class.Combinatorial InnovationPrice DiscriminationCommon Pricing Strategies (Penetration Pricing, Market Skimming, Survival Pricing, Maximize Profit Pricing)Pricing and Switching CostsSwitching CostsCompanies for this class:n/a———-I write, speak and consult about how to win (and not lose) in digital strategy and transformation.I am the founder of TechMoat Consulting, a boutique consulting firm that helps retailers, brands, and technology companies exploit digital change to grow faster, innovate better and build digital moats. Get in touch here.My book series Moats and Marathons is one-of-a-kind framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital businesses.Note: This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. Investing is risky. Do your own research.Support the show

Matthew Brennan has published:Attention Factory: The Story of TikTok and China's ByteDance\It's a great read, with lots of interesting ideas about how to fight for attention. And how to manage information flows in a world overflowing with content and ideas.The slides mentioned are below and here.Related podcasts and articles:What Is the Secret of TikTok / Douyin’s Success? (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 20)This is part of Learning Goals: Level 7, with a focus on:#32: Adaptation, Innovation and Resilience as Competitive StrategyConcepts for this class.SMILE Marathon 2: Machine Learning / AI and Zero-Human OperationsSMILE Marathon 4: Rate of LearningLearning AdvantagesSocial CapitalCompanies for this class:BytedanceTikTok / DouyinFacebook  ———-I write, speak and consult about how to win (and not lose) in digital strategy and transformation.I am the founder of TechMoat Consulting, a boutique consulting firm that helps retailers, brands, and technology companies exploit digital change to grow faster, innovate better and build digital moats. Get in touch here.My book series Moats and Marathons is one-of-a-kind framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital businesses.Note: This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. Investing is risky. Do your own research.Support the show

At Alibaba’s Investor Day, CEO Daniel Zhang outlined 11 growth stratgies. Five were under Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun). These are the early days of cloud and, likely, a new paradigm for computing and connectivity. It's chaotic and unclear. But Alibaba is very well positioned to win big.You can listen to this podcast here or at iTunes, Google Podcasts and Himalaya.The mentioned slides are below.Related podcasts and articles:What is Alibaba’s Best Growth Strategy? (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 50)Why Digital Is Disrupting Business, Politics, Culture and Society (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 11)This is part of Learning Goals: Level 7, with a focus on:#30: Ecosystems vs. PlatformsConcepts for this class.Ecosystems vs. Digital PlatformsPlatform Types: Coordination, Collaboration and StandardizationCompanies for this class:AlibabaAlibaba Cloud———-I write, speak and consult about how to win (and not lose) in digital strategy and transformation.I am the founder of TechMoat Consulting, a boutique consulting firm that helps retailers, brands, and technology companies exploit digital change to grow faster, innovate better and build digital moats. Get in touch here.My book series Moats and Marathons is one-of-a-kind framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital businesses.Note: This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. Investing is risky. Do your own research.Support the show

At Alibaba's Investor Day, CEO Daniel Zhang outlined 11 growth strategies. Five were under Domestic Consumption. The question for this class is which is the most effective of these? Which is most likely to succeed and move the needle?You can listen to this podcast here or at iTunes, Google Podcasts and Himalaya.The choices are:“To continue growing our digital economy user base”“To expand consumption categories and consumer wallet share in our digital economy”.“To develop new supply categories and supply-side transformation based on consumer insights.”“To create or redefine online / offline retail formats leveraging our digital technology”“To upgrade Alipay from digital check out to digital check in.”The mentioned slides are here.Related podcasts and articles:How Did Alibaba Beat Everyone? Products vs. Digital Platforms. (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 4)Xiaomi, Meitu and Why Platforms Fail (1 of 2) (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 43)This is part of Learning Goals: Level 7, with a focus on:#30: Ecosystems vs. PlatformsConcepts for this class.Ecosystems vs. Digital PlatformsLinked BusinessesComplementary PlatformsCompanies for this class:Alibaba———-I write, speak and consult about how to win (and not lose) in digital strategy and transformation.I am the founder of TechMoat Consulting, a boutique consulting firm that helps retailers, brands, and technology companies exploit digital change to grow faster, innovate better and build digital moats. Get in touch here.My book series Moats and Marathons is one-of-a-kind framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital businesses.Note: This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. Investing is risky. Do your own research.Support the show

This is Part 3 in a three part series about Ant Group / Ant Financial. In this part, I talk about how sustained innovation is the primary strategy for maintaining their competitive advantages.Part 1 is How Ant Financial / Ant Group is Revolutionizing Finance (1 of 3) (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 47).Part 2 is Adaptation, Innovation and Resilience at Alibaba. A Discussion with BCG’s Martin Reeves. (2 of 3) (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 48)You can listen to this podcast here or at iTunes, Google Podcasts and Himalaya.Related podcasts and articles:3 Ways Network Effects Suck (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 41)This is part of Learning Goals: Level 5, with a focus on:#19: Basics of Ant Financial / Alipay and Payment PlatformsConcepts for this class. Network EffectsAdaptation and ResilienceSMILE Marathon: Sustained InnovationCompanies for this class:Ant Financial / Alipay / Ant Group———-I write, speak and consult about how to win (and not lose) in digital strategy and transformation.I am the founder of TechMoat Consulting, a boutique consulting firm that helps retailers, brands, and technology companies exploit digital change to grow faster, innovate better and build digital moats. Get in touch here.My book series Moats and Marathons is one-of-a-kind framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital businesses.Note: This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. Investing is risky. Do your own research.Support the show

This is Part 2 in a three part series about Alibaba and Ant Group. The focus was on Alibaba's ability to continually adapt to new markets, consumer behaviors, technologies and opportunities. The idea of adaptability and innovation are increasingly discussed as key competitive abilities. Part 1 is here.To investigate that, I spoke with Martin Reeves, who is Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute. And has long written about adaptability and rate of learning as critical parts of strategy. Here is his summary from the BCG website:"Since joining BCG in 1989, Martin has led a broad range of strategy assignments in the Financial Institutions, Consumer Goods, Industrial Goods and Health Care sectors. He has particular expertise in the areas of adaptive strategy, strategy for multi-business systems, sustainability strategies, ecosystem strategies, collective learning and innovation, corporate vitality, and trust."Specifically, we spoke about his paper with Ming Zeng about Alibaba as a self-tuning enterprise. Although we did go off to other ideas pretty quickly. The main question was how Alibaba had been so successful for two decades in business after business.You can listen to this podcast here or at iTunes, Google Podcasts and Himalaya.Related podcasts and articles:How Ant Financial / Ant Group is Revolutionizing Finance (1 of 3) (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 47)How Big Will Ant Financial / Alipay Become? (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 28)This is part of Learning Goals: Level 8, with a focus on:#32: Adaptation and ResilienceConcepts for this class. Adaptation and ResilienceSMILE Marathon: Sustained InnovationCompanies for this class:Ant Financial / Alipay / Ant GroupAlibaba———-I write, speak and consult about how to win (and not lose) in digital strategy and transformation.I am the founder of TechMoat Consulting, a boutique consulting firm that helps retailers, brands, and technology companies exploit digital change to grow faster, innovate better and build digital moats. Get in touch here.My book series Moats and Marathons is one-of-a-kind framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital businesses.Note: This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers Support the show