What I wrote last week
It May Sound Easy, But It Really Is Not
Business
Toyota, a Hybrid Pioneer, Struggles to Master Electric Vehicles. Even though it does look like Toyota is currently behind the competition in the EV market, it doesn’t mean that the iconic manufacturer can’t recover in the future. The adoption of EV is still low. Plus, if Kia managed to turn its fortune around in the past, who’s to say that Toyota can’t?
He Took On the World’s Most Valuable Company—and Won. There is a fine-thin line between abusing power to enact unnecessary bureaucracy and leveraging power to hold corporations accountable. The answer on whether this mandate over phone chargers will utlimately do more harm than good remains to be seen.
It’s the Breakfast of Champions No More: Cereal Is in Long-Term Decline. “Stretched family budgets have also given new life to an old threat: private-label cereals started gaining share last year and jumped considerably in the first half of 2023, according to market-share data from research firm Numerator. For one thing, the company has been relentless in pushing a heart-health message for the Cheerios family of brands. The claim comes with some caveats: “Three grams of soluble fiber daily from whole grain oat foods, like Cheerios cereal, in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease,” the official Cheerios website states. But the subtleties of that message are somewhat lost in the marketing. Every box of Cheerios comes adorned with a prominent image of a heart. Television ads amplify the heart-healthy message, even for sweetened varieties like Honey Nut Cheerios. At times the company has even sold heart-shaped Cheerios.“
The Cyberattack That Sent Las Vegas Back in Time. In this day and age, every serious business must take cybersecurity seriously. Not only is the impact on MGM operations and reputation going to be massive, but I also wonder if somebody will be prosecuted for negligence.
Amazon’s Buy with Prime is helping merchants increase sales and gain new customers. I have been pretty impressed by Amazon’s delivery speed and reliability recently. The investments paid off and now the company is trying to leverage that incredible asset/capability. Buy With Prime and Buy With Prime cart enable Amazon to roam free, even beyond its own platform. Prime customers are accustomed to the convenience that the subscription brings. Now they know about Buy With Prime and will expect retailers to offer this option. When retailers comply and add this button, they will have no choice but to pay Amazon for the privilege while the tech giant maintains a firm grip on its highly valuable customer base.
Other stuff I find interesting
I had a perfect 850 credit score. Then I paid off my house. Apprently, having a low installment loan balance is better than having no installment loan at all. The rule of thumb is that you should, at all times, demonstrate good behavior, but you should also have a history of borrowing as well. I have a couple of installments with Apple. Since I signed them up, my credit score has been rising. Yet, I am not entirely sure if the increase stems from my longer credit history or from having low installment loan balance. Regardless, I still can’t explain how I have three different FICO scores at three different credit card issuers…
The Secret to Saving for Retirement: Start Before You’re 20. If there is one lesson in wealth generation that I will pass onto my children someday, it’s to start early and be consistent and patient for a long time. Opening a Roth IRA for your kids and starting early seems a really good strategy.
What Mitt Romney saw in the Senate. I wish Mitt Romney had stood up more to his party during his time in Congress, but I am not surprised he didn’t. Nonetheless, it’s good to read honest reflection on the Republican party. I am not even saying Democrats are innocent. Far from it. But if I have to pick the lesser evil between the two, I always think that Republicans in Congress are just horrible.
A Nation Goes for Dominance—of World’s Stinkiest Fruit. “The fruit has become so beloved in China that it consumed $4.2 billion worth of durians last year, about four times the value from 2018. To get its fix, however, China relies almost exclusively—for now—on Southeast Asia, where conditions are perfect for the fickle fruit. While the durian fruit is hard and sturdy on the outside, the tree itself is extremely sensitive to cold and dryness. Only the very southernmost parts of China—like Hainan island—have the tropical climate suitable to grow durian.”
Stats
Getir is now valued at $2.5 billion, a remarkable drop from the $11.8 billion as of Jan 2022
Pizzas brought in 12% of new customers to Casey
Minh Quang Duong 
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