gc's Profile

Thanks Nate! You bring up an important point on the disruption of media distribution by Over The Top (OTT) content providers. Cable providers and traditional cable networks are feeling this pressure more than anyone else, and I think you can see Vice shifting their media strategy to capitalize on this by partnering with A&E, getting more investment from Disney, and starting their own cable channels. Because they are more focused on content creation and are channel agnostic, they can provide content to many of these players you’ve mentioned above without getting caught up in the distribution war. If anything, they can increase the bidding prices of their content to all these digital channels.

Thanks Taarini! As Vice scales, they are definitely going to need to implement more quality assurance processes (e.g. more editors, required credentials, etc.), especially if they maintain their freelancers and crowdsourced ideas. Even right now it may take up to 90 days for a someone to get a response, if any, on ideas submitted for content.

With regards to growth opportunities, I think their entrance into traditional cable television is an interesting one to directly compete with the likes of CNN and other news outlets given many millennials are “cord-cutting” and getting rid of their cable services. I think there is a lot of potential in Vice developing specific apps for Apple TV, Roku, etc.

Thanks Tulio, great point on the other channels! As more competitors follow the Vice model, I think the company will definitely have to be conscious of the varying quality of their other blog posts and the impact on the overall Vice brand.

The question of what will happen to serving Millenials as they age is becoming increasingly more relevant. Vice’s mission to be the largest network for the younger generation seems to juxtapose this question. Given Vice is entering the traditional media space with cable channels, I think they are hoping this strategy begins to address this question, potentially even tapping into the older demographic now, especially as seen with their A&E History channel partnership.

As a prior member of WeWork, I find this perspective on their business and operating model intriguing with regards to scale vs. individual experience. WeWork has clearly focused on how to get as many small businesses in as possible, but I found their model for individual users somewhat inefficient. Perhaps they view individuals looking for co-working spaces as ancillary right now while they focus on growing, but their lack of customer service for them led me to cancel my membership. Beyond the monthly subscription, every time an individual wants to use a co-working space, he/she has to pay with “tokens” purchased on top of the subscription. Without really understanding why this additional feee was necessary, it seemed to me that the company was just extracting value without providing matching services to justify it. As WeWork continues to expand and think about more value-add ons, I’d like to seem them consider how to capitalize on those individuals tinkering away in coffee shops all day that could benefit from the network effects of co-working spaces.

Love Peloton! My parents bought one for their house in the suburbs this year, and I have used it quite often when I go visit. I find a few of the above comments raise concerns that I’ve seen realized in my own house. To Joe’s comment about the $500 clothes hanger treadmill, this has definitely become the case for the Peloton bike for my parents now that the novelty of “dropping” into live classes has worn off. To Pandanation’s comment, it is a completely different experience than being in the atmosphere of other spin studios, but I think the target customers for Peloton are specifically those people who don’t need the in-person workout. While there is a big question to me about the stickiness and ability to keep customers using the bike consistently, I’ve seen firsthand the value Peloton brings, especially to those who do not feel comfortable or “in-shape” enough to go to these cultish spin studios. Peloton allows riders to exercise and build stamina at their own pace in the comfort of their own home.

In a market where “fast casual” dining, smaller portions, and healthier vegetarian and vegan options are becoming more prevalent, I find it your position really unique to the broader view in food trends. It would be great if we could see their growth trend and customer behavior trends over the past few years as other restaurant concepts have been popping up. Perhaps their competitive advantage is in the margins, but with more and more upscale consumers are looking for organic or “all natural” ingredients, I wonder if and how Fogo will adapt their operating model to meet these customer demands.