Ben Thompson writes Stratechery, a publication on technology strategy, business models and their effects on society. His Aggregation Theory explains how internet businesses can gain power by owning the customer relationship and attracting increasingly interchangeable suppliers.[1][2]
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X · benthompson Career
Thompson began writing Stratechery in 2013 and made it his full-time work in 2014. Before that, he interned at Apple and worked at Microsoft and Automattic, focusing on strategy, developer relations and marketing. He studied at the University of Wisconsin and earned an MBA at Kellogg and an MEM at McCormick.[1]
Ideas
Follow the customer relationship
Aggregation Theory separates suppliers, distributors and users. When digital distribution and transaction costs fall, an intermediary can serve consumers at scale without owning its suppliers. A better experience attracts users; that demand attracts more supply, which can improve the experience again. Thompson uses Google, Airbnb and other businesses to examine how this cycle shifts bargaining power away from earlier distributors.[2]
Agents change the permission problem
Apple and a Hacker’s Future begins with Thompson’s account of a compromised Mac Mini. He examines the tension between a computer configured for an always-running agent and macOS permission prompts designed around a person at the screen. His proposed direction is permission management around the agent, so newly generated programs do not repeatedly strand a remote workflow.[3]
Tools, writing & talks
Writing, research & talks
Start here
Aggregation Theorystratechery.comA framework connecting digital distribution, customer relationships and supplier competition.
Start with the suppliers, distributors and users diagram, then follow one company example. No technical background is required.
Author[2]- Apple and a hacker's futurestratechery.com
A first-person account of agent-computer security and operating-system permissions.
Author[3]Original source