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- Product & Design Pulse v71
Product & Design Pulse v71
Tik Tok Deal is Reached 🇨🇳🇺🇸
Malcom Jones
December 23, 2025
Welcome to this week’s edition of Product & Design Pulse, where platform power, distribution, and long-term strategy took center stage. A potential U.S.-led acquisition of TikTok’s American operations hinted at a possible end to years of regulatory limbo, while the Academy’s new partnership with YouTube signaled how legacy institutions are leaning into platform-native distribution. Ben Thompson’s 2025 Year in Review tied the year together, arguing that AI infrastructure, ecosystem control, and distribution advantages now matter more than standalone product innovation. Meanwhile, product teams across Instagram, Snapchat, ESPN, and Netflix continued pushing experiences onto bigger screens, richer data layers, and faster creation tools. As CES approaches, the throughline is clear: the next phase of tech competition is being shaped as much by who controls the pipes and audiences as by who builds the best features.
🎧 Audio Overview
For those who don’t have time to read 😁 |
Last week…
U.S. Investor Consortium Moves to Acquire TikTok’s U.S. Operations
A U.S.-based investor consortium is reportedly in talks to acquire TikTok’s U.S. entity, as pressure mounts for ByteDance to divest amid national security concerns. The proposed deal aims to keep TikTok operating in the U.S. while addressing government demands around data access and control. While details remain fluid, the move signals a potential path forward after years of regulatory uncertainty surrounding the platform.
The Academy Partners With YouTube for Exclusive Global Oscars Content
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has struck a deal with YouTube granting it exclusive global rights to Oscars®-related content and other Academy programming. The partnership expands the Oscars’ digital reach, especially among younger, international audiences who increasingly consume entertainment on social platforms. It also reflects Hollywood’s growing reliance on Big Tech platforms for distribution and audience engagement.
The 2025 Stratechery Year in Review
Ben Thompson’s annual review recaps 2025 as a year defined by AI acceleration, shifting platform power, and the collapse of long-standing tech assumptions. He highlights how AI infrastructure, ecosystem control, and distribution advantages increasingly outweigh traditional product differentiation. The piece ties together the year’s biggest stories to argue that strategy—not just innovation—is now the decisive competitive edge in tech.
