Why the order of what we build matters more now


When the connected society arrived on the back of the web, companies who made stuff moved to make networks to connect directly to their customers. But it kinda shows that they are more interested in the stuff they make, than the connections they need. The supply chain has moved from a set of separate steps, owned by different people, to a network which can be staffed by a single firm.

So what we see now is many companies who started by building connections, and added the product once the connection was established. They earned attention and now they plug in the products their audience needs to a system they control.

In a world where connection is the core asset, the latter strategy will become infinitely more poweful than the former.