Data: the uniqueness of the dataset and the slope of the value curve
Some questions to ask about datasets and the importance of that data for markets, firms and allegations of market power: Is the data already replicated elsewhere? Is the data replicable? Is it rivalrous? If it is does the value of the dataset continue to increase with the size of the dataset? And if so, up to what point? This starts off a little theoretical but becomes more concrete towards the end. That said, any numbers below are hypothetical, to illustrate the argument, not to point fingers at any company or market. Is the data already replicated elsewhere? LinkedIn may know my date of birth and where I went to University. Other companies do as well. Can the data that LinkedIn […]