I disagree with Stratechery's take that OpenAI has a Windows Play.

· Bits and Bobs 10/13/25
  • I disagree with Stratechery's take that OpenAI has a Windows Play.
    • An open system can be on top of a proprietary system if the proprietary system can't cut someone else off on top.
      • Open access to APIs, no control on distribution.
    • But an aggregator is entirely in control of the ecosystem.
    • It cannot be an open system if an aggregator controls the final pixels all users see.
    • The test: can 3Ps get started without the platform owner's permission?
    • It's a fundamentally different kind of thing.
    • So ChatGPT is not like Windows, it's like Facebook, but turbocharged.
    • Because even on Facebook, it's only valuable if other people and other content is on it.
    • ChatGPT is 99.999% of the value of the interaction.
    • Note that using OpenAI's APIs to create an experience is much closer to Windows.
      • Yes, they could cut you off from API access, but there are a number of similar-quality and -price alternatives that you can drop in.
    • OpenAI's main business is not the API, it's ChatGPT.
      • We shouldn't get the two confused.

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