Unsolicited Feedback Brian Balfour & Fareed Mosavat

Critiquing Disney's Strategic Moves & Bundling Choices; Navigating the Future of Streaming

In this episode of 'Unsolicited Feedback,' host Fareed Mosavat and guest Mariah Muscato, a Director of Product at HubSpot, dive into a detailed discussion about Disney Plus, its bundle strategy, and the broader challenges facing streaming services. They explore Disney's transition from content creation to embracing technology, its battles with activist investors, and strategic decisions against the backdrop of evolving consumer expectations and the competitive landscape of streaming services. The conversation also touches upon the principle of the perfect bundle, Disney's potential shifts in strategy, the impact on and from platforms like YouTube, and broader discussions on the future of streaming content. Finally, the dialogue covers the pricing and packaging strategies of streaming, and speculates on the future direction of Disney Plus and its competitors.

Check out a full summary of the takeaways and lessons at unsolicitedfeedback.co.

Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome
01:00 The Evolution and Challenges of Disney's Streaming Strategy
02:27 The Superfan vs. Casual Fan Dilemma in Content Strategy
03:20 The Impact of Content Strategy on Subscriber Growth and Retention
06:59 Disney's Strategic Shift and the Role of Bundling
10:54 The Streaming Wars: A Battle for Content and Subscribers
19:00 The Future of Streaming: Consolidation, Content, and Consumer Choice
27:48 Disney Plus and the Challenge of Tech Transformation
30:41 The Challenges of Content Distribution and Monetization
39:49 YouTube and the Evolution of Content Consumption
50:24 The Streaming Wars: Predictions and Strategies for Survival

Show Notes:
➡️ Shishir Mehrotra's Four Myths of Bundling
➡️ Disney's Original Bundling Strategy

Tinder's New Safety Feature Delivers More Than Just Security to the Legendary Swiping App 🎉
In this episode of 'Unsolicited Feedback', host Fareed Mosavat and guest Mariah Moscato (Director of Product, HubSpot) discuss the intricacies of dating apps, with a focus on Tinder's new safety feature, 'Share My Date'. This feature allows users to share their location and date details for safety purposes. They explore how it not only enhances user safety but could open Tinder to new user groups and potentially drive network effects. Mariah shares her personal journey of moving to Dublin, her experiences with dating apps, and insights into how dating behaviors are evolving, especially around ethical non-monogamy. They also touch on how dating apps like Tinder could evolve to include non-dating functionalities and improve user engagements. 
Check out a full summary here, and stay tuned as our Deep Dive this week covers the magical world of Disney!

Feedback on Humane, Limitless, and AirChat: Positioning and Strategy Insights For Early Stage Companies
In Part 2 of our conversation with Kieran Flanagan, CMO behind Zapier & HubSpot, we wanted to get back to our roots with some Unsolicited Feedback on the product launches of Humane AI, Limitless, and AirChat. Along the way, we uncovered a few key lessons for any early stage company navigating the complexities of market entry and product development.
If you think we’re wrong about any of this, we hope you’ll tell us on LinkedIn!
As always, a full summary is available at Unsolicitedfeedback.co!

The New AI Marketing Playbook Amid Google's Stumbles 
This week on Unsolicited Feedback, Brian Balfour & Fareed Mosavat welcomed Kieran Flanagan, and within 30 seconds of taping, Kieran dropped a 💣 on us! He’s leaving his role as CMO of Zapier and rejoining HubSpot to lead initiatives at the intersection of marketing and AI!
Kieran is driven by the opportunity to define the future of marketing in an AI-driven world, and that naturally became our first topic.
As Kieran prepares to dive back into HubSpot, Brian mentions that a lot of HubSpot’s success has been accelerated by its ability to conquer Google. So, naturally, we questioned what lies ahead for this behemoth amidst the rise of AI and what the implications of Google’s latest SEO decisions are, given the broad dependency of marketing strategies on Google's search capabilities.
Fareed optimistically suggests that Google will adapt and continue to thrive. However, Kieran presents a compelling counterargument, starkly stating, "Google will not be fine." 🔥🔥🔥
After some spicy 🌶️ Unsolicited Feedback for Google, Kieran builds a "AI Marketing Playbook," a fascinating framework for navigating the new realities of an AI-driven marketing world.
The initial four pillars are:

Personalization

PLG 2.0

Multimodal Focus

Creator Partnerships


Visit us at UnsolicitedFeedback.co for a full summary!

Product Lessons from Netflix's "Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul" with Penelope Talbot-Kelly
In a fascinating episode of our podcast, Penelope Talbot-Kelly & Fareed Mosavat dove deep into the Netflix documentary "Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul."
The discussion revealed critical insights that resonate far beyond the e-cigarette industry, touching on fundamental issues relevant to all tech companies.
But first, Fareed and Penelope discuss the broader tech landscape, discussing trends such as AI, layoffs, and how these elements influence the current work culture. Penelope shared firsthand experiences and observations about the changing dynamics in recruitment and employee experiences, especially during times of economic downturns.
The tech labor market discussion starts immediately, and the Big Vape / Juul analysis begins at 15:30.
Join us at UnsolicitedFeedback.co for a full summary of the spiciest hottakes and most compelling lessons derived from the conversation!

Unpacking the Google-HubSpot Acquisition Rumors: Implications for the Future of CRM
This week on "Unsolicited Feedback," host Fareed Mosavat welcomed Penelope Talbot-Kelly, GM of Platform & Services at DoorDash, and Austin Hays, a veteran in CRM and Martech, to discuss the buzzing rumors about Google potentially acquiring HubSpot.
Austin previously joined us to chat about HubSpot’s acquisition of Clearbit. Well, he’s back to help us delve deeper into what this new merger could mean for the CRM landscape and digital marketing tools.
Join us at Unsolicitedfeedback.co for a full summary!