What Startup News Did Peter Pham and Marshall Kirkpatrick Discuss?, This Week in Startups (TWiST) #221

TL;DR

TWiST #221’s news roundtable examines Walmart’s mobile strategy, Amazon’s e-commerce strength, Google+ growth, SOPA activism, and social media’s limited influence on the Iowa caucus. Peter Pham and Marshall Kirkpatrick join Jason Calacanis, with Kirkpatrick also introducing his startup, Plexus Engine. Read on for the episode’s specific companies, products, and predictions.

Transcript

today's episode of this weekend startups is brought to you by MailChimp manage list with up to 2,000 subscribers and send 12,000 emails per month for free with Mal chimp and by sourcebits visit www.s sourcebits do.com to begin your mobile app development Journey hey everybody it's this weekend startups it's our news round table it's Friday I'm wear... Read More

Key Insights

• 😤 Walmart is actively building its mobile team to compete with Amazon in the e-commerce space.
• 💗 Google+ is growing its user base and has the potential to become a major social media platform.
• 🖐️ Social media had limited impact on the outcome of the Iowa caucus, suggesting other factors play a larger role in elections.

Questions & Answers

Q: What topics are covered in the TWiST #221 news roundtable with Peter Pham and Marshall Kirkpatrick?

The roundtable covers Walmart Labs’ acquisition of Small Society, Google+ membership growth, Amazon’s e-commerce strength, the Soapa Chrome extension, and social media’s influence on the Iowa caucus. It also introduces Marshall Kirkpatrick’s startup, Plexus Engine.

Q: Why did Walmart Labs acquire Small Society?

Walmart Labs acquired the mobile agency Small Society to strengthen its e-commerce platforms and social media tools. The move was part of Walmart’s effort to build a strong mobile team and compete with Amazon.

Q: How was Walmart trying to compete with Amazon?

Walmart was focused on developing its mobile Labs team and improving its e-commerce capabilities. Its acquisition of Small Society was intended to add mobile expertise and support social media tools.

Q: What prediction did the roundtable discuss for Google+?

The discussion highlighted strong membership growth for Google+. It included a prediction that the platform could reach 400 million users by the end of the year.

Q: What did the Soapa Chrome extension do?

Soapa warned users when they browsed websites that supported the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA. The extension connected users’ browsing activity with information about sites’ support for the legislation.

Q: Did Twitter and Facebook determine Mitt Romney’s Iowa caucus victory?

The social media analytics discussed in the episode indicated that Twitter and Facebook had limited influence on Mitt Romney’s victory in the Iowa caucus. The roundtable therefore suggested that other factors played a larger role in the result.

Q: What was happening to major retail chains compared with Amazon?

Barnes & Noble and Best Buy had reported disappointing sales figures, while Amazon continued to show significant growth. The discussion linked the pressure on brick-and-mortar retailers to the shift toward online shopping.

Q: What is Marshall Kirkpatrick’s startup Plexus Engine?

Kirkpatrick described Plexus Engine as a web application that discovers emerging knowledge and topic-expert knowledge on any subject. He said it developed from the data-driven approach he had used throughout his career.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Walmart Labs acquires mobile agency Small Society to enhance its e-commerce platforms and social media tools.

• Google+ sees strong membership growth and is predicted to reach 400 million users by the end of the year.

• Walmart focuses on building a strong team in its mobile Labs division to compete with Amazon in the e-commerce space.

• Chrome extension "Soapa" warns users when browsing websites that support the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).

• Social media analytics show that Twitter and Facebook had limited influence on Mitt Romney's victory in the Iowa caucus.