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Where is no head, there is no strategy (Case study: Zoom)

May 4, 2023
< 1 minute

Strategy | Business Models | Tech

 

Zoom vs. Exxon

Source: Koyfin


It is crazy to even think that at some point in time, Zoom had a higher market capitalization than Exxon.

The only positive thing about this product is that it is extremely easy to use.

Otherwise, from the strategy point of view will remain a niche product at best:
1/ Free products, or products for which you are already paying, will keep squeezing them: e.g. consumer products (META, Google) and business (Teams)

2/ Zoom’s engineering team is located in China and has many security implications (ie. for sure they are watching what is happening now with the TikTok ban)

3/ Is not part of a bundle product, like Teams; maybe here is an incentive for Salesforce to buy it

4/ Lastly, I think their greatest mistake was trying to spend so much time on the consumer market instead of focusing on solid and constant enterprise revenue. (ie. zero network effects)

At the end of the day, people use Zoom for video conferencing and do not take it as it is promoted: “a unified communication and collaboration platform.”

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