I came to the realization that I couldn’t think of an example of when vertical integration isn’t just an older name for enshittification. Apple owning an app store, Amazon being a marketplace and seller, etc. What examples of vertical integration aren’t bad? Are there any?
In situations where your product is dependent on a problematic supply chain it can make sense for a company while also being beneficial to consumers. Imagine you need 100 widgets a month to build your product but the market is only capable of providing 10. It might make sense to start making 90 widgets a month to supply your own unmet demand. Especially if there’s also a widget cartel trying to squeeze your margins so producing the widgets yourself lets you cut them out of your supply chain. That could be the difference between your survival and failure.