Bundling and Unbundling
Featuring Jim Barksdale
Cable TV charged you $120 a month for 200 channels to watch the five you wanted. Then streaming unbundled it, prices started low, and now a household with sports, prestige TV, and kids content pays more than the old cable bill across five separate apps with five separate logins, and people are starting to say cable was actually convenient. The pendulum swung, and Disney and Comcast began offering re-bundles at a discount. The cycle repeats everywhere: Microsoft bundled Office, Google unbundled it into free web apps, Microsoft re-bundled into 365. Fintech startups unbundled the bank, then started bolting products back on.
For founders and operators, Jim Barksdale's old line that there are only two ways to make money, bundling and unbundling, is an overstatement that is also basically true. Bundling captures more value and hides weak products behind strong ones; unbundling wins by doing one thing cheaper and simpler than the incumbent's package. The whole game is knowing where in that cycle your market actually sits, because picking wrong means you either over-bundle into bloat or unbundle into a feature. How to read where the pendulum is, and when it swings back, is what the app holds back.
Frequently asked questions
What is the bundling and unbundling model and how does it work?
Bundling packages multiple products together for one price, capturing more value and hiding weak products behind strong ones, while unbundling pulls one piece out and sells it cheaper and simpler than the incumbent's package. The market swings between the two over time in a recurring cycle. As Jim Barksdale put it, the two ways to make money are bundling and unbundling.
What are real examples of bundling and unbundling?
Cable TV bundled 200 channels for one bill, streaming unbundled it, and now multiple streaming apps can cost more than the old cable bill, prompting Disney and Comcast to offer re-bundles. Microsoft bundled Office, Google unbundled it into free web apps, and Microsoft re-bundled into 365. Fintech startups unbundled the bank, then started bolting products back on. The cycle repeats across industries.
What are the risks of the bundling and unbundling model?
The whole game is reading where in the cycle your market sits, because picking wrong is costly: over-bundle and you create bloat, unbundle and you become a mere feature. A bundle hides weak products only as long as customers value the package; an unbundled product wins only while it is genuinely cheaper and simpler. Misreading the pendulum leaves you on the wrong side of the swing.
What can founders learn from bundling and unbundling?
Founders should diagnose where the pendulum is in their market and watch for when it is about to swing back, choosing to bundle or unbundle accordingly rather than by default. Timing the cycle is what separates a strong package from bloat and a sharp wedge from a feature. CaseBook helps you decide whether this model fits your business, with an AI coach that reads your answer.