(11.15 am update: Sadly, the NY Times just flashed this headline: “Kremlin Prepares for Military Intervention”. So, it has begun.). I’ve been reading with great interest about the turmoil in Ukraine. In college, I was lucky enough to spend two weeks in the Soviet Union as part of an exchange program. So, I try to keep
Category: Economics
One Way to Think About E-Commerce Start-Ups
Now that e-commerce appears to be less hot, we’re increasingly looking at the category. As I’ve written in the past, Customer Acquisition Cost is a key driver of the business. Another thing we look at in particular is industry structure. Specifically, we look at the supply chain and try to see where the “fat” is
Health Care and ‘Adverse Selection’
A headline in today’s Wall Street Journal caught my eye: “Lawmakers Call for Delay in Penalties for the Uninsured.” Basically, in 2014, if you don’t have health care coverage, you’ll be fined. But, because of the healthcare.gov web site problems, which are making it difficult to enroll for a plan, some lawmakers think it would
How to Start Trends and Not Just Follow Them?
Today is a big day for the economy. And, it made me think of start-ups, trend-spotting and entrepreneurs. But, bear with me as I explain. It was announced today that housing prices are back on the rise, and the stock market has rallied strongly. I looked at the data and was surprised to find this: the