For the longest time, Nike, Adidas, and Puma sold their sportswear through channel partners. However, in the early 2010s, they began shifting their strategy by selling directly to the end consumer through company-owned stores, websites, and apps. Did the business gain from such a shift, or did it blow up?

Zerodha Varsity on Social Media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zerodhavarsity/

X: https://x.com/ZerodhaVarsity

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@varsitybyzerodha

Disclaimer: The stocks or financial instruments discussed in this podcast are meant for educational purposes only. Please do not consider them recommendations or financial advice of any form.

In its early years, Amazon focused more on cash flows and not so much on profits. It inspired a generation of startups to chase scale and not worry about losses. Those imitating startups revealed the pitfalls of taking only half the lessons from someone else's playbook.

Zerodha Varsity on Social Media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zerodhavarsity/

X: https://x.com/ZerodhaVarsity

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@varsitybyzerodha

Disclaimer: The stocks or financial instruments discussed in this podcast are meant for educational purposes only. Please do not consider them recommendations or financial advice of any form.

Many nations have tried to model their sovereign wealth funds after Singapore's Temasek. While Temasek is an SWF, it behaves like a quasi Venture Capital firm with only one shareholder, that is, the Singapore Government. Here is Temasek's story.

Zerodha Varsity on Social Media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zerodhavarsity/

X: https://x.com/ZerodhaVarsity

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@varsitybyzerodha

Disclaimer: The stocks or financial instruments discussed in this podcast are meant for educational purposes only. Please do not consider them recommendations or financial advice of any form.

A business might be a market leader. Network effects might have helped it become a moat. However, government regulations, through bans or restrictions, can make or break companies. TikTok had over 200 million users in India, and overnight, it was banned. Suddenly, TikTok lost a large business. And it became an opportunity for some others.

Zerodha Varsity on Social Media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zerodhavarsity/

X: https://x.com/ZerodhaVarsity

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@varsitybyzerodha

Disclaimer: The stocks or financial instruments discussed in this podcast are meant for educational purposes only. Please do not consider them recommendations or financial advice of any form.

Launched in 1913, the Stanley Cup was marketed for its rugged uses by cops, defense personnel, and those engaged in outdoor activities. It remained a reliable but niche brand for its niche uses for over a hundred years. And then, by a stroke of luck, Stanley pivoted its marketing to appeal to a wider audience. What did they really do? What was this stroke of luck?

Zerodha Varsity on Social Media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zerodhavarsity/

X: https://x.com/ZerodhaVarsity

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@varsitybyzerodha

Disclaimer: The stocks or financial instruments discussed in this podcast are meant for educational purposes only. Please do not consider them recommendations or financial advice of any form.

Google became Alphabet, Facebook became Meta, and Zomato became Eternal - is there a commonality among the three? Each new name has a more widespread and overarching tone than the preceding one. But what drives an organization to rename itself at the peak of its popularity?

Zerodha Varsity on Social Media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zerodhavarsity/

X: https://x.com/ZerodhaVarsity

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@varsitybyzerodha

Disclaimer: The stocks or financial instruments discussed in this podcast are meant for educational purposes only. Please do not consider them recommendations or financial advice of any form.

Big Bazaar was India's largest retail chain, sitting on a mountain of debt. Covid dealt a major blow to its operations. Reliance Industries stepped in to help, but Amazon obstructed the transaction due to an old deal it had struck with the Future Group.

It was one of the most sensational corporate battles, but did anyone win?

Zerodha Varsity on Social Media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zerodhavarsity/

X: https://x.com/ZerodhaVarsity

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@varsitybyzerodha

Disclaimer: The stocks or financial instruments discussed in this podcast are meant for educational purposes only. Please do not consider them recommendations or financial advice of any form.

How could Starbucks improve over CCD's offering? How could Ola and Uber improve over Hertz and Wings Radio cabs? Newcomers or challenger brands bettered the offerings of pioneers in their fields and made them bigger than the pioneers. But there have been instances of pioneers nearly monopolising their categories. For example, WhatsApp has only grown its market share with a moat difficult to break.

Zerodha Varsity on Social Media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zerodhavarsity/

X: https://x.com/ZerodhaVarsity

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@varsitybyzerodha

Disclaimer: The stocks or financial instruments discussed in this podcast are meant for educational purposes only. Please do not consider them recommendations or financial advice of any form.