Platformonomics TGIF is a weekly roll-up of links, comments on those links, and perhaps a little too much tugging on my favorite threads.
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TGIT. Happy Fourth!
My Writing
Governor’s new economic council snubs startups, forgets AI
I wrote another piece for GeekWire, this time on Washington Governor Bob Ferguson’s new Economic Development Council.
The good news is the governor is feeling the economic heat (some of which he helped create). The bad news is his best idea is a committee. I’d say “Don’t be Cleveland”, except Cleveland is much smarter than this.
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Hello Cleveland: The Podcast, Hello Cleveland!, A Warning to Seattle: Don’t Become the Next Cleveland, Don’t Be Seattle: Taxing Jobs Results in Fewer Jobs, Don’t Be Cleveland: Gabe Newell Says Bye Bob, Don’t Be Seattle: World Cup Edition,
Don’t Be Cleveland: Rich Barton Says Bye Bob, Don’t Be Cleveland: Janicki Industries Says “Bye Bob”, Don’t be Cleveland: Seattle Mayor Says Bye, Don’t be Cleveland: Snap Says “Bye Bob”, Don’t be Cleveland: Howard Schultz Says “Bye Bob”, Don’t be Cleveland: Starbucks Says “Bye Bob”, Don’t be Cleveland: Amazon’s Exit, Don’t be Cleveland: Meta, Oracle, and Others Say “Bye Bob” (Ferguson)
News
The Neocloud Stock Pump
Good distraction while we wait for a new frontier model from Meta. Overcoming Meta’s history of platform rug pulls will be harder.
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Related:
SemiAnalysis: Pivot to Neocloud (entertaining)
Fahrvergnügen? Indeed!
I’ve tried to go easier on the EU of late, both because their situation is so dire and because no matter how many people point out the obvious, it hasn’t make any difference.
You can argue Volkswagen has been the most influential voice behind the European auto industry, the German mercantilist model, and Europe’s stance on China. Both VW’s credibility and existence are now in question:
An internal poll amongst nine members of the management and supervisory boards, six said they do not believe that the company has a future.
This is Europe’s chance to stop being a non-player continent and pick a policy priority beyond VW’s (aspirational) China business. But history says that bet has long odds.
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Volkswagen Announces Plan to Create Software: Chapter 87, Volkswagen’s Death Throes Continue, German Auto Industry Reaches Hail Mary Stage, How Do You Say “Burning Platform” in German?, Volkswagen’s Death Throes Continue, The Fate of the European Economy: Automotive Edition, Europe: Investing in Slave Labor, EU Insanity
Quick(er) Hits
Water usage: “According to the Manhattan Institute, data centers use 0.2 percent of daily water usage in the U.S. and that number has dramatically decreased in the past few years due to a new method: liquid cooling.” (Liquid cooling does increase electricity consumption).
Railway taps into the ever funny and ever relevant Silicon Valley TV show for marketing. Surprised more tech companies have not done this. Disclosure: tiny investor.
So depressing to see Vanguard helping private equity dump their bags on retail investors. Totally at odds with their ethos.