H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (26 January 2019) – Software Stocks Can Work In Good or Bad Times + When Charlie Munger Calls, Listen and Learn

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (26 January 2019) – Software Stocks Can Work In Good or Bad Times + When Charlie Munger Calls, Listen and Learn

Companies

• Grainger eyes mid-size companies as it invests more in Zoro.com; “Our single-channel businesses, mainly MonotaRO and Zoro, continue to drive profitable growth” (DC)
• Trend Micro launches regional AMEA HQ in Singapore; deepens region’s cyber capabilities (NWA)
• Rakuten’s package delivery drones to take flight soon; Rural areas in Japan would be serviced, but cost is a concern (Nikkei)
• Koh Young to Demo Hermes and CFX Lines at IPC APEX EXPO 2019 (iconnect)
• Taiwan’s Delta Electronics eyes Krishnagiri for Rs 4,000 electronic plant (NIE)
• Afterpay’s quest to be the global platform connecting retailers with Millennials (AFR)
• How AfterPay and Pro Medicus show why you must buy founder-led companies (MF)
• Mukesh Ambani wants to be India’s first internet tycoon; Thanks to his ambitions, Indians are getting online faster than ever (Economist)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Samsung, Softbank

• Consumption remains engine and driving force for China’s growth, Alibaba CEO says (SCMP); ‘Distorted’ private tech market valuations to see correction in next six to nine months, says Alibaba’s Joe Tsai (SCMP)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Facebook Has Got the Wrong Kind of Friends; Facebook’s user base is growing, but it may be shrinking where it matters (WSJ)
• Zuckerberg to integrate WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger: NYT (Reuters); Why Facebook Can’t Resist Integrating WhatsApp; The decision to unite its empire is both an inevitable end to independence for its disparate properties, and a barrier against calls for a breakup. (Bloomberg)
• Facebook knowingly duped game-playing kids and their parents out of money (Reveal)
• Where Amazon Returns Go to Be Resold by Hustlers; Welcome to the abyss of the “reverse supply chain,” where hope springs eternal. (Atlantic)
• Brands Invent New Lines for Only Amazon to Sell; Amazon gets exclusive products, while brands receive faster customer feedback, marketing support and increased sales (WSJ)
• Startups Find It Easy To Let Alexa Speak On Their Behalf (CB)
• DeepMind’s AlphaStar Reminds Us That AI Is Still Dependent On Human Creativity (Forbes); DeepMind AI Beats Professional Human StarCraft II Players (Forbes)
• Why Microsoft Is the ‘Best-Positioned Firm in Tech’ (Barron’s)
• How NVIDIA Built A Record-Breaking AI Supercomputer In Under 3 Weeks (Forbes)
• Netflix setting bad example for China’s video streamers; Losses widen amid content arms race but platforms will struggle to retain subscribers (FT)
• Nvidia’s “Kitchen Manipulator” Robot Uses AI To Cook Meals (ZH)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• Bytedance’s WeChat rival Duoshan hits 1 million downloads (Technode)
• Meet the little-known Chinese Wi-Fi startup that rubs shoulders with WeChat and Alipay; The app that gives people free Wi-Fi has 800 million monthly active users worldwide (TC)
• Fundraising by China’s startups surges to $80bn (Nikkei)
• Lessons from the fall of China’s bike-sharing pioneer; Ofo’s young founder is banned from pricey hotels and first-class flying (Economist)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• Software Stocks Can Work In Good or Bad Times (Barron’s)
• Slack faces growing challenge from Microsoft; Stewart Butterfield, the entrepreneur who founded Slack, faces renewed competition with Microsoft’s Teams (FT)
• Automakers may have completely overestimated how many people want electric cars (qz)
• IPO Hopes Trigger Scramble for Shares of Top Unicorns; But transactions are hard to track and some questionable practices have arisen (WSJ)
• Tesla Should Pull an Apple: Leave ‘Production Hell’ to Other People; The real money isn’t in building beautiful things. It’s in creating them. (WSJ)
• Dell May Be Unloved Right Now, but Its VMware Stake Is a Silver Lining (Barron’s)
• Humans Question Their AI-Based Future; Smart machines are now being applied to activities requiring intelligence and cognitive capabilities (WSJ)
• Over 70 nations agree to hammer out global rules for e-commerce; China joins effort led by the US, EU and Japan despite opposing free data flow (Nikkei)
• When do AI-related inventions merit a patent? (SCMP)
• The myth of uber for x (II)
• 3D Vision Enhancing Robot Opportunities (EE Times)

Life

• When Charlie Munger Calls, Listen and Learn (WSJ)
• The Era of “Move Fast and Break Things” Is Over; What systemic, societal change do you aspire to create with your product? “Minimum viable products” must be replaced by “minimum virtuous products” (HBR)
• Eugene Wei – Tech, Media, and Culture – [Invest Like the Best, EP.117] (IFG)
• Howard Schultz Teaches You How To Be A Leader In A Crisis (Forbes)
• Sam Altman: How To Be Successful (Sam Altman)
• Why We Worry (and How to Stop) (Medium)
• The 1800-year-old handbook for a “tranquil flow of life” (Medium)