LC

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Ayasdi – a different way of looking at data
LC
Last modified on November 21, 2015 at 3:37 pm
Traditional data analysis relies on statistics. Ayasdi offers data analysis based on topology with applications ranging from disease research to investing to fraud detection.
From drawings on a board to interactive apps – crowdsourced art
LC
Posted on October 31, 2015 at 4:53 pm
Collaborative art is not an entirely new concept but has become easier than ever with the advent of digital technology. Large installations such as ‘Unnumbered Sparks’ have brought crowds and technology together to allow large-scale art projects that were previously [...]
Linux won the servers, but dead on desktop
LC
Last modified on October 5, 2015 at 4:47 pm
Linux is present in very different markets where it has had vastly different results. What explains those differences?
Adios, Therese – the death of the retail travel agent
LC
Last modified on October 19, 2015 at 6:03 pm
Brick-and mortar travel agents are dead. How did the decline happen in one of the first industries to be digitalized?

Activity Feed

On November 23, 2015, LC commented on Tinder Wants You to Tone Down Your Right Swipes :

Interesting! I’d be curious to see how this evolves going forward – my sense is that a limit on the number of swipes is a very rough application of analytics, and there is probably a lot more tinder can do to leverage the data it has. The mismatch between male and female behavioral patterns on online dating platforms is well known, and I am not sure what the solution to this is, but would love to see what creative solutions those businesses will find to deal with it and enhance their value proposition.

On November 23, 2015, LC commented on Netflix : Leveraging the Power of Analytics :

Really interesting how they leveraged both crowdsourcing and analytics to make that decision. Though as othehrs have pointed out, I am unsure if it was good analytics and some luck or more luck than skill… It will be interestin to see how Neflix use analytics for more systematic decision taking on shows going forward.

On November 23, 2015, LC commented on The data anaLYSTs have taken over the fashion website – Lyst.com :

Agreed – it is really unclear how one company will be able to differentiate itself from the pack. And if it’s about data, quantity of available data will matter and Lyst may not be the best one in that field.

On October 5, 2015, LC commented on Nike – from products to platform :

Interesting initiative from Nike, though to me it is hard to believe the objective is really to capture value on the platform. I would liken it more to a marketing investment for them, where the return is not to be expected via the app, but through physical product purchases. For sure, the same network effects would apply when it comes to influencing users’ purchasing behavior.

On October 5, 2015, LC commented on Pinterest – a new social media. Playing with the big guys :

It’s fascinating to see that Pinterest like so many others pursued the monetization after a long time in operations and was focusing on users. I have good hopes for Pinterest continuing to do well as I see them as differentiated enough from other social platforms but perhaps see integration coming up as a topic… It would be interesting to look at the cumulative picture of revenues and profits across a special application type – I wouldn’t be surprised if on the whole, money was lost, and there was one or two firms being able to make money… it really looks like an environment where the customer would be the #1 winner.

On October 5, 2015, LC commented on China’s Taxi Wars: Winner-take-all or lose-lose for Uber and its rivals? :

It is interesting how the economics of the Uber model are so different in a country where car ownership isn’t at the same level as it is in the US! Do Didi and Kuadi order taxis from the official taxi pool that are metered? I’m curious to see where the revenue generation is for them.

On September 14, 2015, LC commented on AYR: Immersive online experience with a real-world twist :

Looks like they have been able to be quite successful but indeed I agree with Sherry that it seems like similar business models are pretty widespread today in the US and even outside. For example, the French brand Sezane just opened their physical showroom in Paris to complement their online-only sales model. I think that retail fashion is definitely a field with enough space for a large number of players but do wonder what the lower barriers to entry and broad possible access will mean in the future for that industry.

On September 14, 2015, LC commented on FT: Keeping up with the times? :

I feel like papers like FT probably benefit from their specialization – it can be a bit more difficult to have access to quality specialized content vs. headline stories free. As you mention, free online information is characterized by quantity and brevity so it makes that deeper analysis of valuable content creates value readers are willing to pay for. It would also be interesting to look at the FT’s overall revenue evolution over time as it is not entirely clear from your post that they have indeed won.

On September 14, 2015, LC commented on Airbnb’s digital platform takes control of Paris short-term rental industry, and makes peace with the city administration :

Interesting that the price difference between hotels and airbnbs is that great in Paris – I haven’t found it to be true to the same extent in Boston where a couch spot can go for almost $100. Beyond the very interventionist European model, I also wonder about long term regulatory risk for Airbnb as I suspect many of the transactions are not declared as such.