Michael Wilson: The Tri-Athlete
Capitalize for Kids board member and former Minister of Finance Hon. Michael Wilson shares his story at the Gallant MacDonald Breakfast Series. For those who couldn’t attend the event in October we thought it was worth sharing the life lessons Michael imparted.
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Startup Hype Master Faces His Toughest Test Yet
The story of the marketing magic behind the apps Mobii and Yo. A VC fund with no successful exits (to-date) but an ability to raise capital at near unprecedented rates for a firm in their situation.
“Some entrepreneurs are absolutely amazing storytellers, and certain products lend themselves to a sexy allure,” says David Blumberg, founder and managing partner of San Francisco VC firm Blumberg Capital. “I know a lot of really good companies who could never have raised that much money.”
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Technology, Not Trade or Regulations, Killed Manufacturing Jobs
An excellent (and quick) graphical illustration of how technology, not trade, has led to the massive decline in manufacturing jobs since the late 70’s. Real output is in fact at an all time high – and so is productivity.
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The Great Canadian Marijuana Bubble
In less than two years, 26 companies in aggregate have been able to go from a market capitalization of close to zero to over $4 billion today. With the hype around Canadian legalization, the constant media promotion, the lack of profitability, and the easy money, we have to ask ourselves – is this a bubble? Today, we still have no appreciation for how our country will regulate, tax or even distribute the products. With many of the publicly-traded companies having yet to make a sale, we find ourselves saying ‘we’ve seen this story before’.
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Our Automated Future
Contrasting stories from The New Yorker and Bloomberg on the increasing trend towards automation.
“How much technology has contributed to the widening income gap in the U.S. is a matter of debate; some economists treat it as just one factor, others treat it as the determining factor. In either case, the trend line is ominous. Facebook is worth two hundred and seventy billion dollars and employs just thirteen thousand people. In 2014, Facebook acquired Whatsapp for twenty-two billion dollars. At that point, the messaging firm had a grand total of fifty-five employees. When a twenty-two-billion-dollar company can fit its entire workforce into a Greyhound bus, the concept of surplus labor would seem to have run its course.”
“The number of unemployed people per job opening is down to just 1.4, from a high of 6.6 in July 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Thirty-one percent of small businesses have jobs they can’t fill, according to a November survey by the National Federation of Independent Business.”
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Read There Are Plenty of Jobs Out There, America
American Football Could Fall Like the Gladiators of Ancient Rome
Peak sports? Whether it be the recent election, new forms of entertainment, or issues with audience measurement, it’s quite clear that something is amiss. Investors are now reassessing the long-term prospects for live sports, while we are broadly cautious on entertainment as a general rule.
“This season, ratings for professional football are down 27 percent across all of the major networks: ESPN, Fox, NBC and CBS, according Forbes. The decline in the ratings underscores a bigger truth that no one wants to face: Nothing lasts forever.“
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The Perfect Weapon: How Russian Cyberpower Invaded the U.S.
An in depth exploration of the Russian efforts to undermine the U.S. Election. This is almost certainly the most important article this month as the implications of Russia’s efforts are far reaching.
“What seems clear is that Russian hacking, given its success, is not going to stop. Two weeks ago, the German intelligence chief, Bruno Kahl, warned that Russia might target elections in Germany next year.”
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Goals Vs. Systems
“Compare the goal of exercising 3-4 times a week with a system of being active every day at a level that feels good, while continuously learning about the best methods of exercise. Before long your body will be trained, like Pavlov’s dogs, to crave the psychological lift you get from being active every day. It will soon become easier to exercise than to skip it - no willpower required. And your natural inclination for challenge and variety will gently nudge you toward higher levels of daily activity while at the same time you are learning in your spare time how to exercise in the most effective way. That’s a system”
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Print is dead. Long live print.
You may have noticed a steady decline in the volume of papers placed outside the office each day. The digital shift has been a conscious choice of many news organizations of late – the question is whether that has had longer term implications on the quality of news itself. Our print edition of the Wall Street Journal eliminated an entire section with little fanfare just last week…we were not impressed.
“To help explain her position, Chyi devised a metaphorical symbol for news online: Ramen noodles. Compared to dinner in a nice restaurant, ramen noodles are an inferior good. They are cheap. You can cook and consume them just about anywhere, including a dorm room sink, in five minutes. To make them profitable, you have to sell them by the metric ton.”
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