May 15, 2021 · 7 min read
TLDR: Moving out has allowed me to: Rediscover and taking ownership of my wellbeing and creativity Been an important bulwark against ennui Recognise (more accurately) my finanncial and quality of life needs March 2021, a young man with a metabolic age ten years younger than his actual age (thanks boditrax), finally took action that has been weighing on his mind for years… I, after much deliberation, moved out.
Apr 23, 2021 · 1 min read
*** WIP - Still drafting: but relevant to the next post July 16, 2023: For more than two years, I had not realised that this post was left unfinished. This will instead be added on in the latest post.
Apr 22, 2021 · 1 min read
TLDR; As I ramble on in this indulgent thought experiment, I first want to call out some aspects that I still understand poorly or that remain highly uncertain in the future The Determinants of the future economy (within decades) Through my past role in Strategic Planning, I have come to be very fond of a tool called Scenario Planning - a systematic way to look at how the future might play out.
Apr 15, 2021 · 2 min read
TLDR; On a more lighthearted note… Arising from the previous post on the nonsense economy, I prioritise sector importance by what I would do if… I could control the world’s economy. If I were hypothetically able to shape the world to my moral compass…to shape it to what I feel is right. How might I view it? F*** - indulgent, but not necessary….just nice to have. Characterized by Good returns to society, as a want, to live a good life.
Apr 8, 2021 · 8 min read
TLDR; As marketing becomes the key differentiator in a world where material functionality is commoditised, there is a real risk of pervasive bullshit (I am yet to read aseminal piece on this). Yet, in the pursuit of growth, capital will continue to flow to such areas. This I term, as the rise of the “Nonsense Economy”. It is the new frontier of rent-seeking behaviour, and detrimental to the economy. If you have been following my previous posts, I sum up many observations which culminate into a phenomena we see today.
Apr 1, 2021 · 5 min read
TLDR; There are reasons to believe that the previously described trends may not hold true in the future; The gravity of economic activity is shifting away from tangible products, to intangible services. This shift presents big challenges for modern economies - many of which are yet to be addressed properly. Things are Changing As earlier described, from a cyclical point of view - the world is at an inflection point of great change.
Mar 29, 2021 · 4 min read
Before I continue on, I wanted to touch on another helpful model to rationalise why we see so many changes, disruptions, etc during these times. Thinking in cycles is a good reminder that what is bad, has been bad before; and what has been good has been good before. History is a powerful teacher and Change is one of the few consistent truths in life. The importance of Thinking in Cycles Here, I reflect on the importance of thinking in cycles as a way of understanding the world in a rather emotive way before I get into the meat.
Mar 26, 2021 · 2 min read
…Which I think is a natural question that follows. Looking at the business cycles and the criteria I had laid out to define what a dominant economic activity looks like - I foresee two new chapters emerging in the short term. Sustainability Quantum If we described quantum as the new “digital”, and sustainability as a necessity, I am fairly certain of these trends. Neither should really be a surprise, though I believe they are still too nascent in my mind to be considered a full chapter at this stage.
Mar 25, 2021 · 2 min read
Consolidation and Monopolistic Tendencies - Examples As each Chapter matures, champions emerge to control the dominant share of the market. By defintion, most of these are conglomerates, who have underwent significantly Mergers and Acquisitions, as identified in the Consolidation stage of each industry. Some examples are listed below: Chapter 2: Resource Development Oil Majors: Shell, Exxon, BP, Conoco Philips, Total Chapter 3: Manufacturers Western Industrial Conglomerates: GE, Siemens, ABB Chapter 4: Global Trade Global Freight Forwards: DHL, UPS, Fedex, Nippon Express Chapter 5: Modern Services Advertising: Big 4 - WPP, Omnicon, Publicis, Interpubli Accounting/ Audit: Big 4 - EY, KPMG, PWC, Deloitte Consulting: Mckinsey, Bain, BCG Digital Western: FAANG Chinese: BAT Platform (CURRENTLY UNDERGOING!
Mar 25, 2021 · 6 min read
TLDR; Economic Chapters are not static. They follow cycles. Each chapter has implications to how businesses are structured Each chapter has implications on how jobs are valued In introducing the series I highlighted that there were two ways to look at economic chapters. The first being the approximate patterns and trends observed at a high-level giving rise . This was explored in detail in the first two posts.