Winner Take All
A Podcast by Applico
Microsoft Nukes LinkedIn.cn in China 🇨🇳
Microsoft has announced that they will sunset operations of career focused social network LinkedIn in China. Alex discusses the backlash that caused Microsoft to wind down its Chinese operations and the larger overall decoupling between the U.S. and China. This…
Did Ozy Media Try to Scam $40MM from Goldman Sachs?
Alex looks at the recently exposed scandal behind Ozy Media’s announced shut down and subsequent vague relaunch announcement. He details a story released by the New York Times in which Ozy media co-founder Samir Rao was caught impersonating a YouTube…
Walmart Poaches Instacart Exec to Build eCom Ad Business
Walmart has hired Seth Dallaire, the head of Instacart’s advertising business, in move that indicates the retailer turned digital competitor to Amazon is getting serious about implementing an ad business into its eCommerce offerings. Alex discusses this move by Walmart…
This Is The Platform Industry That Has My Attention! 👚👟
Alex looks at how platforms for secondhand fashion items have grown from marketplaces for niche categories into unique industries. He highlights how large brands like Adidas, ESG investors, and mature platforms in this space have all embraced and contributed to…
How Square’s AfterPay Acquisition Could Disrupt $6.7 Trillion in Payments 💳💲
Square has announced plans to acquire AfterPay, an Australian financial technology company, in a $29 billion all-stock deal. Alex outlines why he thinks AfterPay could be a key acquisition for Square to platformize its business and potentially cause massive disruption…
Zoom + Five9 $14.7 Billion Merger Deal Rejected 🛑⛔
Zoom Video Communications’ deal to purchase contact center software company Five9 has been abandoned after a shareholder vote rejected the deal. Alex discusses Zoom’s purposed $14.7 billion all-stock purchase of Five9 and looks at the DOJ’s investigation that accompanied Zoom’s…
Procore Acquires Construction Lien Management Company Levelset
Tri Tran joins Alex to discuss Procore’s acquisition of Levelset, a Lien Management Company. The two highlight some of the reasons they like this deal in the B2B construction space and compare with some of Procore’s previous M&A targets. This…
Amazon is Shipping More Packages Than FedEx! 📦
New data indicates that Amazon’s logistics operations have surpassed FedEx in volume of parcels. Alex looks at this data and surmises that if Amazon’s logistics arm continues it’s growth trajectory, Amazon will pass UPS in the near future. In 2020,…
Why The Global Supply Chain May Collapse 🚢📦
Alex discusses multiple articles on the current supply chain disruption in the United States. He looks at how the labor shortage has exacerbated the issues when importing goods into the U.S. as well as the letter issued by the International…
Amazon Go Cashierless Retail Tech Coming to Whole Foods 🥑
Amazon has announced that its “Just Walk Out” cashierless retail technology will be integrated at two Whole Foods locations opening next year (2022). Alex discusses why he thinks cashierless technology will bring big changes the food/grocery industry and retail as…
Buy Now Pay Later GreenSky Acquired By Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs has announced they will be acquiring Greensky, a “buy now, pay later” fintech with foothold in the home improvement market. Alex explores if this deal is possibly a reaction to Square’s recent acquisition of Afterpay and breaks down…
Gig Economy May Be Causing The Labor Shortage 👷♀️ – Platforms/Tech and the Worker Shortage
Alex looks at various data points detailing the ongoing labor shortage in the United States. He explains his theory on how platforms that easily enable gig work may be a contributing factor to this shortage. Moazed cites features of gig-work…