Dave Morgan

Tech entrepreneur. Investor. Founder of Simulmedia, TACODA and Real Media. Building video ad platform for marketers of all sizes. Run a lot. 🇺🇦💪

[Niall Ferguson @nfergus]

The goal of my entire career as an historian was to ensure that citizens learned the lessons of history—including the vital lesson that antisemitic rhetoric can be translated into genocidal reality if it is adopted by a modern state. Yet today, as AI permeates social networks, anti-history is spreading like a cancer. The Holocaust is either denied or derided. I have to admit: I failed utterly.

[Tymofiy Mylovanov @Mylovanov]

Thank you for reading this post!

Please also consider donating to support Ukrainian students who study during the war if this cause resonates with you.

https://t.co/EiRauCHUp8

[Mykhailo Fedorov @FedorovMykhailo]

Change is inevitable.

You thanked me for Mriya and Diia. In return, I thank you for giving me hope.

I’ve never felt a responsibility this great — not even while serving in government.

Thank you to our veterans and service members for holding the line and upholding our honor.

The dialogue is happening. I believe we will succeed.

[Dave Morgan @davemorgannyc]

Thank you @Mylovanov for all of your important, insightful and timely news and commentary through this crisis …
It makes a difference…

[Tymofiy Mylovanov @Mylovanov]

Rumors are that Zelenskyy might solve Fedorov’s dismissal crisis by naming a new commander-in-chief instead of Syrskyi and appointing Fedorov to be a defense tech tsar.

[Tymofiy Mylovanov @Mylovanov]

Rumors are that Zelenskyy might solve Fedorov’s dismissal crisis by naming a new commander-in-chief instead of Syrskyi and appointing Fedorov to be a defense tech tsar.

[Kateryna Lisunova @KaterynaLis]

It’s also very important to understand the nature and psychology of Ukrainian protests. If the government doesn’t listen to Ukrainians, they double down. First, the demand was “bring back Fedorov,” then it became “fire Syrskyi,” and now people are demanding a criminal investigation into Syrskyi.

There were fewer people at the beginning, but now there are thousands of protesters in different cities across Ukraine.

If Zelenskyy doesn’t reverse course now, the demands could continue to grow and could start affecting soldiers’ morale and the situation on the front line - which would be extremely dangerous for the country.

The Revolution of Dignity on the Maidan started as a demand to reverse course and sign the agreement with the EU instead of moving toward Russia - “European integration versus the Customs Union.” The longer people were ignored, the bigger the demands became.

The most naive thing would be to think that people will not get what they want and will simply calm down and stop. Ukrainian society does not work like that.

The smartest approach would be to listen to people now, before the demands grow even bigger.

Since 2022, there has been an implicit agreement: if the government listens to the people, it can remain in power, and Ukrainians will do everything they can to support it.

These are the people who are willing to die fighting for their country against a much bigger enemy. You should never underestimate what Ukrainians can do when they feel that their nation is under threat. And during a full-scale war, this deep emotional connection to the nation is especially strong and sensitive among Ukrainians.

So my main point would be this: take any Ukrainian protest very seriously. Address the demands today, because tomorrow it could become much worse.

The demands are directly related to the war and the effectiveness of the fight against russia. For Ukrainians, this feels existential. That is why the movement will undoubtedly grow bigger, and people will not back down.

[Dave Morgan @davemorgannyc]

Ukraine 🇺🇦 has had extraordinary leadership in digital transformation and transformation in defense under @FedorovMykhailo …. Hoping for a resolution that acknowledges he is not only right about what Ukraine must do to win the war, but critical in executing that strategy.

[BRAVE1 @BRAVE1ua]

One of Mykhailo Fedorov’s greatest strengths has always been his ability to build resilient institutions, form strong teams, and unite them around a common purpose.

It was this vision that gave rise to the Army of Drones initiative, which evolved in 2023 into Brave1, Ukraine’s defense tech cluster. The first regulations of their kind anywhere in the world came into force, and we began issuing our first small grants to engineers and innovators.

Today, many of those early teams have grown into leading companies whose technologies are reshaping the battlefield every single day. Perhaps for the first time since Ukraine regained its independence, the private defense industry truly felt that the state believes in innovation and is ready to stand behind it.

Entire industries and new technology markets have been built from scratch, including ones that few believed in at the start. Unmanned ground vehicles, for instance, now handle a growing share of frontline logistics. Interceptor drones are shooting down up to 80% of incoming Shahed drones.

Mykhailo often says: "Give Ukrainians freedom — and they will do extraordinary things." The story of Ukrainian defense tech, which has become a global phenomenon in a remarkably short time, is the best proof of that.

Everything we do is driven by data: real numbers, real analytics, real feedback from the battlefield. But data alone is not enough. Equally important is our belief that Ukraine can outpace the enemy through asymmetric thinking, agility, and speed. Our mission has always been to turn that belief into concrete action:

▪️We launch grant programs that open up new frontiers: from autonomous systems to electronic warfare and munitions.

▪️We develop analytical frameworks to clearly understand the technological balance on the battlefield and build asymmetric responses before the enemy can adapt.

▪️We launched and continue to develop Brave1 Market, the world's first defense technology marketplace, so that soldiers themselves can choose the most effective tools for their missions.

▪️We open Ukrainian defense tech to the world through events like Defense Tech Valley, and make the civilized world more Brave through joint grant programs with our partners.

We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to work together, guided by our common values: do what is right, and do what truly matters.

The greatest achievement of this chapter is something that cannot be measured in metrics alone: hope. Hope that Ukraine can win on the battlefield. Hope built not on emotion, but on hard facts and systematic action.

The Brave1 team continues its work. The priority remains the same: to secure technological advantage for Ukraine’s Defense Forces through innovation and asymmetric solutions.

Thank you, Mykhailo.

More to come.

[ɹǝʞɹɐd ʍǝɹpuɐ @andrewparker]

I don't think this will ever leave single digits.

If Google charged for search, Bing would have won.

Free is too powerful and capturing all US households is too interesting

[Tymofiy Mylovanov @Mylovanov]

I told BBC that people in Kyiv are surprised, annoyed, disappointed with the government reshuffle, but not angry.

The reshuffle won’t affect Zelenskyy’s popularity either way. And student protests are real, but not anti-Zelenskyy. They want Fedorov back.

1/

[Dave Morgan @davemorgannyc]

The significant audience engagement problem is a leading indicator of challenges to the core business model coming fast …

[Lucas Shaw @Lucas_Shaw]

Shares in Netflix dropped as much as 12.5% this morning, the worst drop since the dog days of 2022.

Bank of America:

"While Netflix results were largely in line, they were not strong enough to fundamentally alter the debate around the stock."

https://t.co/CRuPTPjbk9

[Dave Morgan @davemorgannyc]

Why @netflix should use linear TV ads to fix its viewership problem -- linear TV ads, even data-driven targeted ads in linear -- cost a fraction of targeted ads in premium streaming or on smart TVs, typically one-third of the cost at the strategic target level. Steaming ads on TV cannot match the Cost Per Converted Viewer of linear when the target audience is in the many millions daily.
https://t.co/s5axOpQALS

[Peter Kafka @pkafka]

Netflix is going to generate more cash this year than Disney.

Just bonkers that we take this for granted. Not very long ago sober people worried Netflix was spending so much on content it would never break even.

Via @mvpeers

[Dave Morgan @davemorgannyc]

Critical context on the news of the past 2 days …

[Tymofiy Mylovanov @Mylovanov]

Fedorov: Zelenskyy said he wouldn’t replace Syrskyi, I accepted that. I would have learned to work with him because we answer to the Ukrainian people.

But our initiatives were blocked. Syrskyi avoided discussing problems, and chose intrigue and media blame. He issued an ultimatum. He found a way to divide the country instead of defeating Russia. 1/

[Dave Morgan @davemorgannyc]

Breezy, cloudy, warm morning run to @Simulmedia … going to be another hot one; not so much smoke out there today though …

[Dave Morgan @davemorgannyc]

Great one @ctreff ... I think that a big issue here is that the market dominance today of @Google @YouTube, @Amazon and @Meta in the market (no to mention @TikTok), means that this is not a open industruy issue but a oligoploy competitive issue. They will publisher and utilize agentic architectures as they determine that it is in their best interests, which it certianly is. Given that those companies' market share growth is much faster than the total market is growing, they are eating up the rest of the market. Thus, I expect transformation to come form one of those three (four), probably to check moves by OpenAI or Anthropic, will push agentic hard and that will then kick of moves by the rest of the market.
Interestingly, we've recently seen @FoxCorporation take the lead in true agentic buying/selling transactions in both streaming and linear TV ads with their announcement at @Cannes_Lions a few weeks ago as it works on building a reference architecture for the ecosystem with key partners. That is already causing a number of companies, from TV publishers to holdco agencies to streaming/CTV SSPs and DSPs to try to find their way to jump on board or build in parallel. My bet is that this sector adopts agentic transactions cross-company before we see it in the open web.
https://t.co/tQ1iJQrfVN

[Dave Morgan @davemorgannyc]

Hot, humid, fun @CitiBikeNYC to @Simulmedia … going to be a scorcher today!

[Dave Morgan @davemorgannyc]

NYP>WAS … excited for a day in DC talking support for Ukraine, defense tech & privacy … @Amtrak
🇺🇸💪🇺🇦

[Dave Morgan @davemorgannyc]

Quick early morning Hudson River run & @CitiBikeNYC to @Simulmedia … ready huge week ahead!!!

[The Media Online @MediaTMO]

TV tune-in realities hit Netflix in the face, writes @davemorgannyc. It has more than 325 million paid subs in 190 countries. But it has a deeper problem. It has an audience problem. He explains. #themediabeat https://t.co/nxzAhFIPZy