Hate to break it to you, but Zuck didn’t create Instagram. Buying out a threatening competitor is not the same sort of risky move as what Apple did with the iPod/iPhone.
I don't see it as materially different. I also don't consider this to be an example of either of them being genius visionaries. I actually think it's an extremely straightforward tactic to cannibalize part of your business to break into another bigger market.
Apple didn't stop selling iPods, you know? I don't really get why it was more risky for Apple to market the iPhone than for Facebook to decide not to shut down Instagram once they acquired it.
The differences in the literal creation of the entity are immaterial to my point.
You don't see the difference between creating and buying?
> Apple didn't stop selling iPods, you know?
Read The Innovator's Dilemma. Apple launching the iPhone would be equivalent to Google, today, replacing a list of search hits with, at most, three answers.
