Amazon – The Age of the Platform

Why Most Big Companies Can’t Innovate

There's an interesting post on HBR about why so few large companies routinely innovate. Of course, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are all exceptions. From the piece:

What's striking about Fast Company's 2013 list of the world's 50 most innovative companies is the relative absence of large, established firms. Instead the list is dominated

Santa Clara University Discussion

Yesterday, I spoke to students at Santa Clara University about the Age of the Platform via Google Hangout. Professor Terri Griffith facilitated a great discussion for her MGMT 524 class. We talk about the book, Facebook's new social search tool, The Innovator's Dilemma, and a bevy of other topics.

Click below to watch it.

On Platforms and Whining

I wrote yesterday about Microsoft's whining about Google's paid search results.

I find it interesting that competitors of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are so vocal. For the most part, the Gang of Four just focuses on building better products and offering better services. Sure, Larry Page complains about Facebook's walled garden. Apple pulled Google's maps

Why Amazon Cut Prices on AWS

As I write in the book, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google have many things in common, no the least of which is the tendency to disrupt themselves before others do. Case in point: Amazon recently lowering its prices on AWS. If profits are lower in the hosting world, why would others enter? For its part,

The Economist on the “Big Four”

You know that you've written an important book when The Economist basically validates its thesis. There's quite a bit in this piece about platforms.

Maybe someone should write a book about it. Note to self...

Thanks to Mark Cenicola for letting me know about this one.

Ken Auletta on the Gang of Four

Ken Auletta appeared on Charlie Rose recently to talk about Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. It's a great talk about some of the more interesting dynamics at play.

Rose should have me on his show.

There. I said it.

Inside Amazon

Wonder what it's like inside a gazillion-square foot distribution center?

Wonder no more. (Video may take a few seconds to load.)

Amazon: Inside the Mind of Jeff Bezos

The Charlie Rose episode with Jeff Bezos is nothing less than fascinating. Among the highlights for me the are study hall and the discussion among Amazon top brass of ideas in depth. This might be the best 40 minutes of viewing of the last month for me.

NMHC Keynote: The Age of the Platform

In this 60-minute talk at NMHC in Dallas, TX, I discuss The Age of the Platform and the platform as a business model. I then take about 15 minutes worth of questions.

Keynote: Management in the Age of the Platform

My 54-minute keynote and Q&A from the Columbus, OH OCLC event in September of this year is now up. I talk about the management philosophies of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. I also discuss the similarities between Instagram and YouTube, Microsoft's purchase of Yammer, and a whole host of other topics.