So, who are they?
Well, I could give you a list of the top players in the industry, what they do, and my analysis on their standing. The problem with that is the list would probably be obsolete in a months time, so I wasn't sure that was the best way to move forward.
I then thought of creating a list of the most popular companies in the space, and creating an analysis based off of Hamilton Helmers framework detailed in his book, “7 forces”. Not only has this framework been popularized by the hit podcast “Acquired”, but we also had the chance to speak to Hamilton as part of our Strategy class (shoutout to Ned!).
Yet, I came back to the same issue, will this analysis help anyone better understand the landscape? And will it continue to be relevant in 12 months time. Maybe?
I then came across the concept of the “Tech Stack”. Not for the first time, but with this problem in my head, it felt this was the solution. Detail the Stack, outline what companies bring value in what part and showcase the ecosystem. So, that's what we are going to do!
The Tech Stack is an analogy that helps people understand in what part of the process an application/service/company brings its value. For business people the best way I've come to think about it is basically the value chain. Different companies offer different solutions and where they stand in the stack is where they bring the value.
Because its an analogy, there’s no formal framework. However, there are many companies and VCs who use this analogy to point out where some market gap exists. With this in mind, I thinks its good to think about the stack in 5 key layers. Then, with these in mind, we can place companies in one (or many) parts of the stack so we better understand where they bring the value.
The “metal.” Chips, servers, and data centers. The physical backbone that makes everything else possible.
The “fuel.” All the collection, storage, and cleaning that turns raw information into something usable.
WORK IN PROGRESS
The “fuel.” All the collection, storage, and cleaning that turns raw information into something usable.