This week, we discuss cloud’s never-ending “early innings,” OpenAI Canvas vs. Gemini, and Dell’s RTO reversal. Plus, is there such a thing as too much optimism?
Watch the YouTube Live Recording of Episode (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KcCt6y1Tao) 505 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KcCt6y1Tao)
Runner-up Titles
Fastball to the head
Not enough AI eggs
Toxic Positivity
Rundown
Cote’s Early Innings Research (https://bsky.app/profile/cote.io/post/3lgse46resc26)
S (https://speakerdeck.com/cote/confusing-cloud)lides and stream recording of presenting it at cfgmgmtcamp 2025 (https://speakerdeck.com/cote/confusing-cloud)
Cloud Revenue
Microsoft Q2 cloud revenue falls short of expectations, sending (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/microsoft-q2-cloud-revenue-falls-short-of-expectations-sending-stock-lower-165353431.html) the (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/microsoft-q2-cloud-revenue-falls-short-of-expectations-sending-stock-lower-165353431.html) stock lower (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/microsoft-q2-cloud-revenue-falls-short-of-expectations-sending-stock-lower-165353431.html)
Alphabet shares drop as much as 9% on revenue miss, soaring AI investments (https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/04/alphabet-q4-earnings-report-2024.html)
Google parent Alphabet’s earnings disappoint Wall Street amid stiff AI competition (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/feb/04/google-alphabets-q4-earnings)
DeepSeek Debates: Chinese Leadership On Cost, True Training Cost, Closed Model Margin Impacts (https://semianalysis.com/2025/01/31/deepseek-debates/)
DeepSeek Debates: Chinese Leadership On Cost, True Training Cost, Closed Model Margin Impacts (https://semianalysis.com/2025/01/31/deepseek-debates/)
Dell RTO Timeline
Aug 2020: Dell: 60% of our people won't be going back into an office regularly (https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/28/dell_q2_2021_work_from_home/)
March 2024: ****Dell says remote workers must go hybrid if they want any hope of a promotion (https://fortune.com/2024/03/18/dell-remote-workers-promotion-hybrid-return-to-office/)
Jan 2025: Dell ends hybrid work policy despite remote work pledg (https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/31/dell_ends_hybrid_work_policy/)e (https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/31/dell_ends_hybrid_work_policy/)
5 Signs Your Optimism Is Hurting Your Team (https://hbr.org/2025/01/5-signs-your-optimism-is-hurting-your-team)
Relevant to your Interests
Jack Dorsey’s Block has an AI agent too (https://www.engadget.com/ai/jack-dorseys-block-has-an-ai-agent-too-212706083.html)
Can We Build a Five Gigawatt Data Center?—Asterisk (https://asteriskmag.com/issues/09/can-we-build-a-five-gigawatt-data-center)
Purely AI-generated art can’t get copyright protection, says Copyright Office (https://www.theverge.com/news/602096/copyright-office-says-ai-prompting-doesnt-deserve-copyright-protection)
'Everything I Say Leaks,' Zuckerberg Says in Leaked Meeting Audio (https://www.404media.co/zuckerberg-says-everything-i-say-leaks-in-leaked-meeting-audio/)
What Elon Musk should learn from Larry Ellison (https://archive.ph/2025.01.30-183451/https://www.economist.com/business/2025/01/30/what-elon-musk-should-learn-from-larry-ellison)
DOGE, Software, and Government (https://open.substack.com/pub/arnoldkling/p/doge-software-and-government?r=2d4o&utm_medium=ios)
DOJ sues to block HP Enterprise from buying Juniper Networks (https://www.axios.com/2025/01/30/justice-dept-hewlett-packard-enterprise-juniper-networks?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosprorata&stream=top)
Mark Zuckerberg to employees in leaked all-hands meeting: ‘buckle up’ (https://www.theverge.com/command-line-newsletter/603754/mark-zuckerberg-tells-employees-to-buckle-up-in-leaked-all-hands-meeting?ueid=3d6a2c800561880c901963d51e644d95&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1/31/25%20-%20Verge%20Subscription%20Marketing%20Send&utm_term=Verge%20Marketing%20Current)
There’s Something Very, Very Wrong With Tech Today. (https://slate.com/technolog