Blog

Universal Frameworks: Thinking In Cycles

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.

Economics 4 - So...What's Next?

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.

Addendum to Economics 3 - Firm and Industry Examples

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!

Economics 3 - Dynamics within each Chapter

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.

Economics 2 - Trends Across Chapters

Mar 15, 2021 · 5 min read

TLDR; This post elaborates on some patterns and observations looking across several economic chapters. These are the principles that guide how the theory of economic chapters work in totality. New chapters are emerging at a faster pace. New chapters are additive to its predecessors and are not inherently destructive New chapters are complementary to its predecessors. This has led to increasing permutations of where value is created and applied. PREMISE 2: Trends and patterns can be spotted across chapters.

Addendum to Economics 1: Chapters Explained

Mar 8, 2021 · 7 min read

TLDR; This post gives some further texture to what I define as each Economic Chapter The Chapters in Detail Applying a bit of artistic flair (in my very roundabout wannabe-a-humanities-student kind of way) to illustrate each chapter, I attempt to convey: Representative personas of success (e.g. the archetype of success at that time, with the exception of the ruling class) Rough timestamps to help anchor each chapter in a time period of human history*.

Economics 1- Breaking it down into Chapters

Mar 8, 2021 · 3 min read

TLDR; Economic development and technological advancement across mankind’s history can be framed as “chapters”. Chronologically order, each Chapter highlights the dominant economic activity of its time. This was/ is the ultimate driver of job creation, profits, and innovation - core aspects of any economy. PREMISE 1: GLOBAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CAN BE BROKEN DOWN INTO SEMI-DISCRETE SEGMENTS On one hand, the global economy is an enigmatic force. It is constantly reshaping - creating and destroying wealth, lives and countries.

A Preface on the Field of Economics

Mar 1, 2021 · 3 min read

Over the course of the last couple of years, and in part due to my time working in Singapore’s Economic Development Agency, I have since developed a fond interest in the economy/ field of economics. In this context, I generalise and speak about the “economy” simply as anything related to the way value is exchanged. Going deeper, this topic touches on a wide range of concepts - economic history, firm competition, human behaviours, labour, government policies - all of which carry an incredible depth in their own right.

The Intermission - From Sustainability to the Economy

Feb 2, 2021 · 1 min read

TLDR: Nah, this is just a transition post, carry on. The series of posts on sustainability surfaced several open questions, which will be explored in the upcoming posts - albeit not directly. I will just let this hang here as a reminder of how the domain of Sustainability is linked to that of the Economy. The fracturing of cohesiveness along lines of division (all kinds of lines, age, economic status, etc, etc)

Sustainability Part 5 - My personal views and Response

Jan 31, 2021 · 6 min read

TLDR: I’m a believer in effecting change at the system level and not the incremental. I elucidate on how I have made sense of the issue, my own reactions and the challenges ahead. These include buying stuff that lasts, and working in a field that intersects good business while doing good for the planet. Unlike the other posts which were more argumentative in nature, this post will be an amalgamation of thoughts and contemplations on how to progress sustainable development.