We really get into a discussion on Apple’s, Google’s, Nike’s, Fitbit’s and Garmin’s strategies. We talk about the evolution of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC 2.0), the “Google Squeeze”, and we end up disagreeing a couple of times, although no co-hosts were harmed in the making of this episode. Finally, we talk about the new Macbook Pro (Bertrand is a real fan), Apple’s foray into AR and VR, the new Moto RAZR and the “General Magic” movie.

Navigation:

Apple’s Vertical integration strategy (01:57)
Peak Google or the Google Squeeze (08:49)
Nike (really) goes Direct-to-Consumer (15:35)
Cracks in Amazon’s Armor (16:06)
Fitbit & Garmin in opposite directions (25:37)
Macbook Pro (34:30)
Apple going into AR/VR (41:17)
New foldable Moto RAZR (44:46)
General Magic - The Movie (46:47)

Resources:

Apple Insider, A6: How Apple's custom silicon and iOS optimized each other - http://bit.ly/2Um4bsn
WSJ, Nike to Stop Selling Directly to Amazon - https://on.wsj.com/3d76W9x
Stratechery, The Google Squeeze - http://bit.ly/2xGnGUJ 
Business Insider, Google offer to buy Fitbit - http://bit.ly/2U9FMGg
Fortune, Why Garmin’s Shares Are Hitting Record Highs As Rival Fitbit Sinks From View - http://bit.ly/2QeyiAw
Daring Fireball, New MacBook Pro 16 - http://bit.ly/3d3qfjZ 
Monday Note, Apple AR/VR: Reality Bites Virtual Reality - http://bit.ly/2U1TTgw
Yanko Design, 2019 MOTO RAZR foldable phone - http://bit.ly/2UdkZ4q
General Magic, The Movie - http://bit.ly/2WcFocF  

Our co-hosts:

Bertrand Schmitt, Tech Entrepreneur, co-founder and Chairman at App Annie, @bschmitt
Nuno Goncalves Pedro, Investor, co-Founder and Managing Partner of Strive Capital, @ngpedro 

Our show:
 
Tech DECIPHERED brings you the Entrepreneur and Investor views on Big Tech, VC and Start-up news, opinion pieces and research. We decipher their meaning, and add inside knowledge and context. Being nerds, we also discuss the latest gadgets and pop culture news.
 
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Full transcription: may contain unintentionally confusing, inaccurate and/or amusing transcription errors

Bertrand: Hello Nuno, how are you today? 

Nuno: I am. Well, how are you Bertrand? 

Bertrand: Pretty good, pretty good. 

Nuno: Today we're going to talk quite a bit about strategy, and how some very significant players Apple, Nike, and Google are thinking through their integration in terms of business model. Also in terms of tech, we're going to leave some of the content discussion to another episode.

In particular around some of the movements that Google, Apple, Facebook and others are doing around content, around gaming, et cetera. 

Apple Vertical Integration Strategy (01:57)

But maybe just start with a really fascinating article around the A6, and on how Apple has really innovated around the system on chip space, and how that really is linked to it's almost dominant position around the operating system stack as well. 

Bertrand: Yes, I think there was this fantastic article on Apple Insider talking about how the A6, the Apple CPU that was launched  in 2012 is representative of how Apple works differently from other tech companies. And myself, I remember one of the first time I was surprised by how Apple was working, is when I heard that story about how they cornered, the aluminum  market for laptops: they will buy in advance most of the sources of aluminum to make sure nobody else could make a MacBook . And apparently that story was not just a wake up call for me, but a wake up call for execs at other tech companies, including Microsoft, when suddenly they fully realized what they were up against in term of vertical integrati...