The Tech Strategy Podcast

This week’s podcast is about agentic commerce. Who is winning and losing. And how to think about it. I have 6 basic points. See below.

You can listen to this podcast here, which has the slides and graphics mentioned. Also available at iTunes and Google Podcasts.

Here is the link to Agentic Org Now.

Here is the link to our Tech Tours.

My 5 points are:

1. Grok bot and AI Assistants are the iPhone moment.
2. Buyers are delegating, and that changes everything downstream.
3. Lots of brands will lose humans as customers. Attention, data and brand equity all fall. Selling to agents will be necessary.
4.  Brands win where humans don’t delegate. That's your core.
5.  Agents weaken marketplaces like Amazon. But strengthen platforms like YouTube and Payment.
6.  Alibaba is ahead of Amazon in most agentic commerce capabilities.

Here are the mentioned articles:

• Amazon vs Alibaba: Who’s Winning in Agentic Commerce? (1 of 2) (Tech Strategy)
• Alibaba vs. Amazon in Agentic Commerce: Every Merchant Gets an AI Team (Tech Strategy) (2 of 2) (Tech Strategy)

*Disclosure: AsiaTech Services, LLC has had a partnership with Alibaba within the past 12 months. This article received no financial sponsorship or backing.*

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I am a founder, consultant and keynote speaker specialized in digital and AI agentic strategy.

I am the founder of Agentic Org Now, a firm that helps leadership teams launch AI and agentic initiatives fast.

I write (a lot) about digital and digital AI strategy (3 best selling books, +2.9M followers on LinkedIn). You can get a free book at the email sign-up below.

My Moats and Marathons book series is a framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital and AI businesses.

Subscribe to My Free “Agentic Frontier Email”. And Get My Free Book.

Note: This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. Investing is risky. Do your own research.

Support the show

This week’s podcast is about Cainiao's 3 big moves in 2026. Specifically their launch of Global 3 Day Delivery.

You can listen to this podcast here, which has the slides and graphics mentioned. Also available at iTunes and Google Podcasts.

Here is the link to Agentic Org Now.

Here is the link to our Tech Tours.

Here are the mentioned slides:

• Amazon Built a National Logistics Machine. Cainiao Is Building a Global One. (1 of 2) (Tech Strategy)

*Disclosure: AsiaTech Services, LLC has had a partnership with Alibaba within the past 12 months. This article received no financial sponsorship or backing.*

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I am a founder, consultant and keynote speaker specialized in digital and AI agentic strategy.

I am the founder of Agentic Org Now, a firm that helps leadership teams launch AI and agentic initiatives fast.

I write (a lot) about digital and digital AI strategy (3 best selling books, +2.9M followers on LinkedIn). You can get a free book at the email sign-up below.

My Moats and Marathons book series is a framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital and AI businesses.

Subscribe to My Free “Agentic Frontier Email”. And Get My Free Book.

Note: This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. Investing is risky. Do your own research.

Support the show

This week’s podcast is about iQIYI's 3 big moves in tech. Specifically offering video production capabilities as a service. And shifting towards a platform business model.

You can listen to this podcast here, which has the slides and graphics mentioned. Also available at iTunes and Google Podcasts.

Here is the link to Agentic Org Now.

Here is the link to our Tech Tours.

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I am a founder, consultant and keynote speaker specialized in digital and AI agentic strategy.

I am the founder of Agentic Org Now, a firm that helps leadership teams launch AI and agentic initiatives fast.

I write (a lot) about digital and digital AI strategy (3 best selling books, +2.9M followers on LinkedIn). You can get a free book at the email sign-up below.

My Moats and Marathons book series is a framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital and AI businesses.

This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment, legal or tax advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. This is not investment advice. Investing is risky. Do your own research.

Support the show

This week’s podcast is about JD’s big moves in robotics and embodied AI. Specifically JoyAI and JoyInside.

You can listen to this podcast here, which has the slides and graphics mentioned. Also available at iTunes and Google Podcasts.

Here is the link to Agentic Org Now.

Here is the link to our Tech Tours.

Here are some photos from JD's exhibit at the World Robotics Conference.

• JD’s JoyAI and JoyInside Are a Smarter Bet Than Building Humanoid Robots (1 of 3) (Tech Strategy)

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I am a founder, consultant and keynote speaker specialized in digital and AI agentic strategy.

I am the founder of Agentic Org Now, a firm that helps leadership teams launch AI and agentic initiatives fast.

I write (a lot) about digital and digital AI strategy (3 best selling books, +2.9M followers on LinkedIn). You can get a free book at the email sign-up below.

My Moats and Marathons book series is a framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital and AI businesses.

Note: This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. Investing is risky. Do your own research.

Support the show

This week’s podcast is about JD's new home furniture retail store 101HOME.

You can listen to this podcast here, which has the slides and graphics mentioned. Also available at iTunes and Google Podcasts.

Here is the link to Agentic Org Now.

Here is the link to our Tech Tours.

Here are some photos from 101HOME.

Here are the mentioned articles:

• Why JD.com Built 101HOME: The Case for Experiential Furniture Retail (1 of 2) (Tech Strategy)
• Lessons in Competitive Advantage from My Visit to Warren Buffett’s Nebraska Furniture Mart (Tech Strategy)
• What Is Great Digital Strategy for Furniture Retail? My Visit to the JD-Qumei in China (1 of 2)

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I am a founder, consultant and keynote speaker specialized in digital and AI agentic strategy.

I am the founder of Agentic Org Now, a firm that helps leadership teams launch AI and agentic initiatives fast.

I write (a lot) about digital and digital AI strategy (3 best selling books, +2.9M followers on LinkedIn). You can get a free book at the email sign-up below.

My Moats and Marathons book series is a framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital and AI businesses.

This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment, legal or tax advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. This is not investment advice. Investing is risky. Do your own research.

Support the show

This week’s podcast is about the recent Alibaba Ecommerce Training Program - and our trip to Alibaba HQ in Hangzhou.

I outlined two companies visits:

• Geely / Zeekr
• DEEP Robotics
• Plus a little about Fly Zoo Hotel.

I outlined two useful tools:

• QwenWork
• Accio and Aidge.

You can listen to this podcast here, which has the slides and graphics mentioned. Also available at iTunes and Google Podcasts.

Here is the link to TechMoat Consulting.

Here is the link to our Tech Tours.

Here are the articles with all the photos and videos:

• Day 1 of Our Alibaba Ecommerce Training Program: Visiting Geely / Zeekr (1 of 5) (Tech Strategy)
• Day 1 of Our Alibaba Ecommerce Program: Touring DEEP Robotics (2 of 5) (Tech Strategy)
• Day 4 of Our Alibaba Ecommerce Program: Accio, QwenWork and Fly Zoo Hotel (5 of 5) (Tech Strategy)

Disclosure. I have had a education partnership with Alibaba within the past twelve months. 

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I am a founder, consultant and keynote speaker specialized in digital and AI agentic strategy.

I am the founder of Agentic Org Now, a firm that helps leadership teams launch AI and agentic initiatives fast.

I write (a lot) about digital and digital AI strategy (3 best selling books, +2.9M followers on LinkedIn). You can get a free book at the email sign-up below.

My Moats and Marathons book series is a framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital and AI businesses.

This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment, legal or tax advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. This is not investment advice. Investing is risky. Do your own research.

Support the show

This week’s podcast is about my recent tour to Hangzhou and Alibaba headquarters. And my 3 take-aways from the epicenter of ecommerce meets AI and agents.

You can listen to this podcast here, which has the slides and graphics mentioned. Also available at iTunes and Google Podcasts.

Here is the link to TechMoat Consulting.

Here is the link to our Tech Tours.

My big take-aways are:

1. Agentic Commerce Is Now an Arms Race
   1. Everyone needs to upgrade their capabilities with AI and agents to stay competitive.
   2. And then repeat.
   3. And repeat again.
2. Human KOLs and Content Creators Have Already Peaked.
   1. Livestreaming is already shifting to digital avatars. Other content creator types will follow.
   2. The future of content creation and KOLs is mostly not-human.
3. Digital Livestreamers Have Arrived in Ecommerce. Entertainment and Thought Leaders Are Next.

My playbook for human content creators / KOLs is:

• Focus on topics where being human matters:
  • Taste and curation. What wine is better vs. what laptop is better.
  • Irreversible and/or critical decisions. Situations where you can't do it over and judgement matters.
  • There is an advancing frontier of knowledge. There is no existing online database of expertise. Think new AI tools, not history.
• Use a multi-format approach:
  • Focus on building personal relationships. Such as in communities and events. Both online and offline.
  • Make your content super authentic. Ideally videos instead of text or voice. Make it clear this is a human.
  • Deploy an avatar army. Your solo content is not enough. You need an army creating content 24/7. This can be clones of yourself or similar personas.

The mentioned photos are here.

 Disclosure. I have had a education partnership with Alibaba within the past twelve months. 

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I am a consultant & keynote speaker on how to increase digital growth and strengthen digital AI moats.

I am the founder of TechMoat Consulting, a consulting firm specialized in increasing digital growth and strengthening digital AI moats. Get in contact here.

I write (a lot) about digital growth and digital AI strategy (3 best selling books, +2.9M followers on LinkedIn). There is a free book and email newsletter below.

My Moats and Marathons book series is a framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital businesses.

This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment, legal or tax advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. This is not investment advice. Investing is risky. Do your own research.

Support the show

This week’s podcast is about WorkBuddy, Tencent's flagship Agent product. It is currently going international. And will likely be followed by Tencent's other "buddy" products:

• CodeBuddy
• Toast
• Marvis
• Ardot
• Miora
• ima Copilot

You can listen to this podcast here, which has the slides and graphics mentioned. Also available at iTunes and Google Podcasts.

Here is the link to TechMoat Consulting.

Here is the link to our Tech Tours.

Disclosure. I have had a paid consulting relationship with Tencent in the past twelve months.

-------

I am a consultant & keynote speaker on how to increase digital growth and strengthen digital AI moats.

I am the founder of TechMoat Consulting, a consulting firm specialized in increasing digital growth and strengthening digital AI moats. Get in contact here.

I write (a lot) about digital growth and digital AI strategy (3 best selling books, +2.9M followers on LinkedIn). There is a free book and email newsletter below.

My Moats and Marathons book series is a framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital businesses.

This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment, legal or tax advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. This is not investment advice. Investing is risky. Do your own research.

Support the show

This week’s podcast is about the robot-native network Huawei and China Unicom built for the World Humanoid Robot Games (WHRG) in Beijing.

You can listen to this podcast here, which has the slides and graphics mentioned. Also available at iTunes and Google Podcasts.

Here is the link to TechMoat Consulting.

Here is the link to our Tech Tours.

Disclosure. I have had a paid consulting relationship with Huawei in the past twelve months.

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I am a consultant & keynote speaker on how to increase digital growth and strengthen digital AI moats.

I am the founder of TechMoat Consulting, a consulting firm specialized in increasing digital growth and strengthening digital AI moats. Get in contact here.

I write (a lot) about digital growth and digital AI strategy (3 best selling books, +2.9M followers on LinkedIn). There is a free book and email newsletter below.

My Moats and Marathons book series is a framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital businesses.

This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment, legal or tax advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. This is not investment advice. Investing is risky. Do your own research.

Support the show

This week’s podcast is about Unitree, which is about to go public.

Plus, there is a quick intro to Tencent's Robot Brain (Tairos).

You can listen to this podcast here, which has the slides and graphics mentioned. Also available at iTunes and Google Podcasts.

Here is the link to TechMoat Consulting.

Here is the link to our Tech Tours.

Here are my 5 take-aways:

1. A good growth story in robodogs and humanoids. Rapid growth. Highly diversified. In both product categories.
2. Unitree has frontier-level expertise in robot bodies and agility.
3. Unitree was late to embodied AI capabilities.
4. The hands don’t appear advanced. Only 10 DoF?
5. Operationally, Unitree is still a relatively small company
   1. 516 FTEs, versus 1,500 at Agibot

Disclosure. I have had a paid consulting relationship with Tencent in the past twelve months.

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I am a consultant & keynote speaker on how to increase digital growth and strengthen digital AI moats.

I am the founder of TechMoat Consulting, a consulting firm specialized in increasing digital growth and strengthening digital AI moats. Get in contact here.

I write (a lot) about digital growth and digital AI strategy (3 best selling books, +2.9M followers on LinkedIn). There is a free book and email newsletter below.

My Moats and Marathons book series is a framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital businesses.

This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment, legal or tax advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. This is not investment advice. Investing is risky. Do your own research.

Support the show