Business
Gateside by TSA PreCheck. The target audience is the family and friends of the TSA Precheck passengers. I don’t believe any sane person would voluntarily go to the airport unless they have to fly somewhere. Entertainment and food options there are more limited, yet more expensive. However, if you have to see of somebody and really want to stay as long as possible, till the moment they walk on the ramp into an aircraft, then there is a market there. I think the rationale behind this initiative is that Gateside will generate more business for merchants beyond the security checkpoint. Lounges require a same-day boarding pass and have nothing to do with TSA. But the bars, retailers and restaurants want as many butts on seats as possible. What’s better than having friends and families of passengers there together for a couple of hours? If this initiative is successful, there will be ramifications. Parking will be more expensive. Slots beyond security checkpoint may be more expensive. Food will be even more outrageous. Wifi companies will have more demand for powerful and high-bandwidth Wifi. If there are more participating airports in the future, we can tell that the pilot will have been successful.
Japan’s Scallop Industry Is Learning to Live Without China. Japan’s scallop industry learned the hard way why you should lower the risk of concentration. Especially, when you deal with China.
Like Jamie Dimon, the CEO of AT&T wants people to show up in meetings prepared and ready to speak up. Every CEO wants their meetings productive. So of course, these two Fortune 500 CEOs want meeting attendees to be prepared. While Jamie Dimon prefers not speaking unless there is something valuable to add, John Stankey wants people to speak up. I don’t think there is a one-size-fits-all approach here. Regurgitating points mentioned before is a waste of time. Hence, I don’t think anyone should speak up AT ALL COSTS. However, it’s beneficial to have as many meaningful inputs and different perspectives as possible. Hence, every attendee should come prepared. The challenge is that in corporate America, we still have the tendency to set up meetings and even meetings before a meeting. How will people find time to prepare for every meeting and still be productive at other tasks? Another trick that I think would be helpful is that the most senior person should speak last. Otherwise, others would not be willing to share their views because they are concerned about disagreeing with the boss.
It’s Getting Harder to Return Things—and It’s Making Shoppers Mad. I consider this a positive market trend for Amazon. The company spent years and billions of dollars building its logistics infrastructure to support deliveries and returns, whether it’s through a myriad of local partners, its own fulfillment centers or stores (Whole Foods, Kohl’s, Rent A Center, just to name a few). Shoppers, especially the younger ones, like to shop online and return is just part of the experience. As returns are increasingly expensive and restrictive, shoppers will go to Amazon or local physical stores. Those that prioritize margins may sacrifice sales in the process.
Other Stuff I Find Interesting & So May You
Taiwan’s six-year hunt for China’s undercover chip labs. If you spent years and billions of dollars to perfect a trade to the point that you were the best in the world and everybody literally relied on you, you wouldn’t want any intellectual theft. Taiwan is the same. But it is also about survival. The Chinese government believes that Taiwan is its God given right and it is of utmost importance to bring the island back to the motherland. The Taiwanese don’t share the same perspective. Obviously, Taiwan is no match for China when it comes to military might. The only hope is that other countries need the chip fabs so badly that they have no choice, but to side with Taiwan. Leaving those fabs and the technology in the hands of the Chinese government is out of question.
Peru Shows the Limits of Washington’s Anti-China Push. The US needs allies in order to keep China in check. The wealthiest country never really tried to build relationships with African countries while Xi Jinping poured billions into the continent and secured stragetic partnerships. The same thing is happening here. Since the US has been isolating itself on the global stage, it can’t complain that other countries do what’s best for them. As long as there are fair deals, any new investment money is all the same. Uncle Sam needs to be less arrogant and more willing to come to the table.
Farmed Salmon May Not Be as Nutritious as It Once Was, New Research Suggests. It seems like we badly need breakthrough in how to sustain the growing global population. We over-exploited small fish that was fed to farm-raised salmon, so we started to feed them with soy and other crops. To grow such supply, we need to increase deforestation and damage the habitat of other species. There is no net positive in this dilemma. Hopefully, just not yet.
The world is adapting to extreme heat — but not nearly fast enough. We as a society have a dilemma. Countries need population growth to replace those that go out of the workforce or simply depart this world due to old age. However, the more advanced our medicines are, the longer people live and the more people there are. As a consequence, we need more food and resources to sustain more bodies. What’s the best way? Tap into the natural resources, such as deforestation, over-exploitation of seafood, air pollution etc. All will lead to climate change and an over-heating planet. So either we need magical scientific breakthroughs that can support the society without further compromising the environment or we need to make Elon’s vision a reality: find another planet and actually be able to bring people over there.
An elegant fix for one of America’s deadliest road problems. In three months’ time, California will debut the world’s largest real-life animal crossing in the world that would allow animals to cross back and forth across I-405. Such crossings are expensive and uncommon, hence I am pleasantly surprised and pleased to read this story. I’d expect it from European countries or Canada, not the US.
Stats
Minh Quang Duong 
Leave a comment