Bookmark Knowledge – 03/20/2022

Adam Grant (Wharton Prof.) on entrepreneurship

“Be willing to accept you’re wrong.” Being an entrepreneur is much like being a scientist. You start with the exploration of a hypothesis (a problem solver, an empirical observation, an ingenious idea etc.)- because business is about trying to solve a problem in the most efficient way possible, you then find data and studies for your hypothesis (by introducing the idea to people), thereafter you take all these feedbacks and if required- change or scrap your model to pursue something that is meaningful. Don’t be inflexible like blackberry who stuck with their keyboard layout while apple gamified their entire ecosystem. Punching into a dial is wack when siri can take call commands.

As you get experimental and willing to change your model, as you are unorthodox: you realize that there is a group of people that disdains your idea alongside another group that thinks WOW! this is it (like Air BnB, Uber-imagine getting into strangers cars/ houses). Dip your toe in the water, then go for a swim and soon you’ll realize you’re already trying to figure out how to survive sharks and deep ocean currents.

But how does a founder of a company handle a situation where his entire idea has to be rescaled?

Manage it proactively not reactively. You need to have a clear distinction between principles and policies. Normalize failure as a necessary part of taking risks and trying to take big problems (just like how the advantages we think of in life are actual disadvantages). If you never fail, means you’re not ambitious enough.

Collaboration is an engine for innovation. However there are power dynamics to it. For instance, lets look at some problems in group brainstorming:

a. Production blocking (We can’t all talk at once)

b. Ego threat (I don’t want to look like an idiot so I bite my toungue back at my unconventional ideas)

c. Conformity (Hippo Effect– Hippo is the highest bid person’s opinion and everyone else jumps at that bandwagon)

Therefore, shift from group brainstorming to individual brainwriting for 10 minutes. Then we use the wisdom of a collective crowd to filter ideas and/or refine them.

Confident Humility and Fuck Ego: Confident humility is a common trait in great CEOs who remain acutely aware of their own weaknesses and limitations. However, always be confident in your ability to learn as opposed to confidence in your own knowledge. Humility is about ‘being grounded‘. And we all have to be grounded if our aims are sky high.

Don’t just ask people for criticism… criticize yourself out loud. You’re willing to talk about the things you’re not good at (it shows you’re not struggling with your ego). Likewise, always ask your supervisors to help and guide you when you’re stuck. Teach me! and be good with communication because that is key to any work environment.

Wall street Week Ahead After sizzling rebound, investors weigh whether stocks have more bounce

Wall st stormed back this week after absorbing a long awaited rate hike from the Federal Reserve, leaving investors to determine whether stocks are set for a sustained rebound or more turbulence.

Following a month of slump, the S&P delivered best weekly gains since Nov.2020 as investors cheered increased clarity on monetary policy and an encouraging assessment of the US economy from the Fed. However, whether to hop on board the rally is a thorny question fraught with the deliberation of the hawkish rate hike by Fed and the geopolitical uncertainty over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

UBS strategists think the projected pace of Fed tightening is ‘consistent with rising stocks’ and advised clients to remain invested in equities. Others are less sanguine: worried that the Feds fight against inflation could bruise growth were apparent in the bond market, where a flattening of the yield curve, in which yields of shorter term government bonds rise above those of longer-term ones, has been a reliable predictors of past recessions.

Stubborn inflation, sky-high commodity prices and few signs of an end to the war in Ukraine further cloud the picture for investors. Many believe the week’s sharp gains in stocks are unlikely to quiet the economic concerns that fanned bearish sentiments months ago. Wary of a potential “stagflationary” environment of slowing growth and rising inflation, Lip’s firm is investing in energy shares, commodities and precious metals such as gold, ETFs or gold-mining stocks.

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03/15/2022

Invisibilia

The FMRI machine scans the brain for impulse signals and decodes feelings of fear, hunger, love etc. It has been tried and tested. An interesting question would then be, to ask “If the FMRI machine was a human with all its computational power, would they be good at making new people their friends?”

Well, not really. A connection happens in the process of someone helping you know them… if you could instantly figure them out, all the meaning is lost. The FMRI would be one sad boy. Another interesting finding is that the kind of people we like are the kind of people who we want to be like.

Staircase wit: Looking in retrospect at your past actions with how you could’ve re-done the moment.

The Power of Expectations: Smart Rats vs Dumb Rats

The expectations that experimenters had in their head resulted in a whole set of tiny behavior changes. You maybe standing farther from someone you have lower expectations, you may not be making as much eye contact. “Expectations can make or break you” as you go through the world the expectations of other people are acting on you. A teacher’s expectation can make you smarter or dumber. A mother’s expectations can affect your drinking habits. Belief affects outcome and one person can have a thorough impact on another.

We are all invisibly connected to each other

I remember a client who came in who was very animated. She was talking very quickly and energetically, but I found I started to yawn. And Elaine started to yawn. I wasn’t tired at all.

So why were we yawning?

And what we think was going on is that we were picking up, underneath her cascade of words, depression. That was the idea —that the depression was somehow being telegraphed to them nonverbally.

True emotions of a person leak out in a way of a person’s face in a very consistent, measurable ways called micro-expressions (split-second, brief expressions of joy, sadness). And our faces imitate these tiny micro-expressions and the corresponding emotion is produced inside us. We are contracting, and breathing the thoughts of people around us… so surround yourself with good people.

Global Affairs– Investment and Equities

1. Investors turn to crypto funds, companies as Russia-Ukraine crisis escalates.

global investors are scooping up stakes as they seek exposure to a sector that may withstand the fallout from Russia-Ukraine crisis. Research data from Fundstrat showed that Venture Capitalists poured $4 Billion in crypto space, and another $400M this week for new startups. “This conflict has weaponized financial and digital economy thus accelerating the adoption of blockchains”. This re-allocation of funds to crypto from bonds and real estate id due to the higher interest rates.

2. Apple Inc. fell 2.7% as its supplier Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, Foxconn, suspended operations in China’s Shenzhen amid rising Covid-19 cases.

3. Higher interest rates are a negative for tech and growth stocks because their valuations rely more heavily on future cash flows.

4. Energy companies take a slight loss as Bret crude fell below $110 a barrel, a week after it rose super high due to the Ukraine crisis.

5. Berkshire’s Class A shares have risen 10% in 2022, outpacing the S&P’s 500 index, which fell 12%. Gains at Geico car insurance, the BNSF railroad and Berkshire Hathaway Energy.

Just the World (Reuters)

1. Euro Zone finance ministers are likely to endorse the European Commissioner’s view that fiscal policy should move from supportive to neutral in 2023, but that they must have enough liquid cash should the war in Ukraine mandates. EU government burrowing limits are likely to stay suspended but high debt countries should still focus on tightening fiscal policy, while low debt ones focus more on investment.

2. French troops avoid dispute with Russian militia at Mali but they will apparently provide support.

3. London Metal Exchange suspended nickel trading last week after prices doubled to more than $100000 per tonne on supply worries following Western sanctions on major producer Russia. The short term volatility on Nickel prices shows its potential on global market. Since Nepal has good ties with USA, I’m sure there is a good argument to be made on mining high grade nickel here as a business proposition.

4. Oil prices slide as hope for Russia-Ukraine talks garner optimism.

5. The dollar climbed to as much as 117.61 yen, its highest since January 2017, extending gains from the previous week which Barclays analysts attributed to a decline in demand for safe havens as equities rallied. The US central bank’s rate setting Federal Open Market Committee meets this week, and is all but certain to begin hiking interest rates from their pandemic lows, with investors also-watching projections for the frequency and size of future rate increases.

6. Investors stepped up pressure on corporate climate lobbying, launching a new 14-point action plan for companies to stick to or risk facing shareholder actions.

That random painting

Hey Akshat, why is that there?

We generally solicit artwork as aesthetics, to adorn our room, and the question of where to place it… is fraught with much deliberation. Yet mine is above a book rack, in a prosaic manner. Why so?

Well, it keeps me focused. I’m often present in the moment albeit not focused. A parallel to this contrast is a simple soliloquy: Start thinking about just how to carry a glass full of water without spilling, and you’ll likely end up drenched. Studies show that when you think about what you’re doing, as you do it, it inhibits your performance.

During my hour of preparing for an upcoming class, I tend to think of how to conduct myself, my manner of speech, and so on. That supposed hour then stretches across an hour and a half, maybe two, or even three.  

Yes, I can’t totally restrict my thoughts but I can at least control them- the misplaced painting comes here. The painting is placed at a location that’s visible from any corner of my room.

As soon as I realize my productivity decline form overthinking, I take a short break to appreciate the fine details of the painting. I’m unequivocally lost in its colors, the contrasts that juxtapose to create new meaning, the cultural semblance, and a blast of Swazi nostalgia. Thereafter, I get back to the task at hand, to do what I’m doing but with a better focus. It is as the song goes by Dream, Ivory- don’t think, just do.

04.27: GA

Federighi advocates privacy

“Personal information can be used, abused, and weaponized in creepy and dangerous ways.”

Craig Federighi

Data brokers panic over IOS 14.5 update, as it gives users the “UNIQUE” choice to opt. out of data tracking identifiers at a system level. IDFA is a unique combination of tracking number that monitors your activity across apps; say you’re looking to buy socks from daraz app, thereafter sock ads will frequently appear in your social media pages.

The severity of data mining might seem diluted at a system level, however much ambiguities remain unanswered at policy levels. Remember the app Meitu? Anime-like styling to your real life photos… ring a bell? Yes, it was harvesting your geo-location without proper geo-fencing. This info can then be correlated with information collected from other sources. Other caveats include fingerprints, biometric scans etc. which bypass Federighi’s App Tracking Transparency to harvest your innocuous user details at a policy level.

Still, data brokers like Facebook panic over this development as Facebooks quarterly report is under suspicion for fall in ad revenues. Apparently, Facebook criticized this move from apple as “hypocritical and anti-competitive.”   

Sue Astrazeneca, Share Astrazeneca : “Swatha thulo ki dhan”

European Commission proceeds to sue Astrazeneca over a breach of contract on the delivery of vaccines scheduled for first quarters. The crux of EU’s murky mood is the delivery of only one-third of the proposed 100M vaccines. While EU has set an ambitious move to ramp up tourism (especially in Portual and Span where economies are unsustainable) through digital health passes, India battles the second wave of Covid amidst consecutive surge.

Moments after the deliberation between the White House and Delhi: Biden announced to distribute approx. 60M doses of Astrazeneca to the world, albeit the target countries weren’t specified. But we know… more or less… that a significant portion of the 60M is scheduled for India.

Fuck Erdogan’s ‘crazy canal’

Turkey’s biggest banks are reluctant to finance President Tayyip Erdogan’s Istanbul canal due to environmental concerns: saying it would destroy marine ecosystems, farms, marshlands.

No passage to Black sea for now (where Russia’s naval fleet is located). Let’s see if any foreign investors finance it…  

What is Reapportionment?

Every decade, the Census Bureau calculates the number of House seats each state will have, based on population changes.

U.S. census hands more House seats to Republican strongholds Texas (2 seats), Florida (2 seats). Consequently, New York, California and five other states lose a seat each.

04.25 : Global Affairs

A topaz glow on Myanmar’s red: the ambiguities present in ratification

The ASEAN summit was a nascent effort facilitated to stabilize Myanmar, since the coup that overthrew Ang San Suu Kyi’s government.  

ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) adopted a lenient position on their parley with Myanmar’s Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. Alleviating violence was a predominant priority, solicited, following a general consensus established on four more points:

1. A constructive dialogue among all parties: to ease the political transition in Myanmar
2. A special envoy  to facilitate the dialogue
3. Acceptance of aid and
4. A visit by the envoy to Myanmar

However, the release of political prisoners is ambiguous. The NUG(pro-Democratic front) has raised concerns over the accountability of Min Aung’s ratification of preceding five points.

A topaz flickers as the deliberations hail meaningful, but as it dims- it adumbrates some of such ambiguities on Min’s diplomatic stance on ASEAN.

India edicts to take down government-critical twitter/social media posts

The grapho-semantics of tweets from several high-ranking officials abase government efforts to curb the mayhem unfolding in India. Subsequently, the government issued a legal request on April 23^rd to censor tweets criticizing the government’s response on exponential growth of victims.

How do government requests at censorship work?

Valid legal requests are subject to scrutiny under Twitter policies as well as local law. The government cited ITA, 2000 and some tweets were immediately removed.

Possible combination of anagrams on sustainable climate efforts

Global environmental narratives are changing. The world’s second biggest petro; Saudi emphasized on a modern economic shift away from oil. Considering that 50% of Saudi economy is oil, recent developments seem murky.

Saudi has invested in Duarte’s research for “blue carbon ecosystems”. This morning, the finance minister announced a fiscal sustainability plan stretched over 10 years: to reduce their oil-addiction and supplement it with an increased domestic investment aimed to optimize new industries.

2021_04_24 : A Saturday Rant on Global Affairs

1. A Reality beyond numbers

“Indians let down their collective guard”

Zarir Udwadia, a pulmonogist on Maharastra’s task force

A blend of arbitrary hubris among disenfranchised population, amidst the scarcity of life-saving oxygen reached a crescendo illuminated by the fact that the capital recorded one death from Covid-19 every five minutes…

Pandemic with a spread (R0) of >1, will put severe stress on the health sector, especially Covid-19. It mandates acute caution from political leaders to remediate relevant efforts, and sanctions- to keep their guards up.

India’s guard was up till February albeit foiled by a rest-assured-complacency in late March and subsequently, “India’s coronavirus infections rose by 346,786 overnight.”

The contemporary Indian status quo is echoing divisive skirmishes over oxygen supplies, which disproportionately affects the poor. A grueling present of an oxymoronic juxtaposition between death and hospital foreshadows hardships to recoup health security.

Delhi, a densely-populated area was the epicenter of this second wave. Experts have correlated the cause: to a new virulent strain, a declined sense of; awareness in wearing masks and maintaining proper social distancing.

Nepal and India share porous borders, yet there is a lack of accountability in logistics. As COVID decentralizes, Nepal will be a medical hotspot for potential victims from our adjacent neighbor. My statement is bolstered by the apparent exodus of people from India to Nepal. AND WE’RE NOT PREPARED.

Most hospitals in Nepal comprise limited secondary and tertiary care institutions in key cities and focuses on providing basic healthcare facilities. To exacerbate the situation, doctors lack proper training for administering vaccines in rural border areas.  

The precedents and my pedantic rant all point to a common conclusion that, “our neighbor’s complacency requires us to be WOKE.” Yet we’re gathered in crowds for attending someone’s marriage, and the government has a stark neutral stance with no action at curbing the potential spread that looms over our border.

Add on it the CIE exams, and WE”RE FUCKED!!!          

Still, all the heavy lifting is up to the Indian government: an immediate approach is diverting Industrial supply of oxygen to hospitals, a more sustainable disposition would be an increased investment in Health sector (as opposed to the promised 2.5% of GDP).

Sincere regards and best wishes to the Indian people; to curb the present.

2. Green candles on Green stocks

“A Report of the Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights discusses the urgent need for action to ensure a safe climate for Humanity. He enunciates the detrimental effects of climate change on the realization of human rights. Curtailing this agenda required affirmative actions from States and businesses to addressing society’s addiction to fossil fuels; financing loss and damage; and empowering United Nations institutions.”

Above report garnered international attention, Wind Stocks have gone up 9%, and so have green energy SPACs. A sentiment of consumer awareness and a global consensus on affirmative actions have ramped up climate finance.

Private equity funds are injecting millions in green stocks, billionaires have called on global federal banks to invest on environment friendly companies. In retrospect, Biden unveils his carbon reduction plan. “Green stocks are white hot!”  

Such flashy investments are all the hype. In contrast, Wall Street believes the worldwide energy transition will be less flashy. Tikehu capital raised a billion euros to invest in micro-groups doing not so flashy stuff; like improving building insulation.

Such investment trends are likely to be adopted by Asian equities, and the holdings could contribute to more than 30% of all energy related carbon dioxide emissions.

3. Crypto: Bitcoin and Etherium plunge as Biden discusses tax raise on gains

2021_04_22 : Global Affairs

Attorney General Merrick Garland launches an investigation into Minneapolis Police Department, after Chauvin’s verdict. Chauvin’s conviction propagated a mandate to confront extreme policing: systematic racism, discriminatory conduct etc.

Garland’s modus operandi is catered to include both community members, and local police departments in experience sharing. His deputy Lisa Bender says to, “welcome any opportunity to understand what is contributing to such disparage outcomes and looking at ways to improve them”.

Within the inundated celebrations of contemporary catharsis in extreme policing, a more subtle issue presents itself. Garland’s awareness and emphasis on a bipartisan dialogue between community members and local departments enunciates a need to appreciate public feedback for improvement. In retrospect, why now?

Flimsy efforts to adumbrate justice lose momentum in the long-run. It is apparent to even a layman that the American jurisprudence is predominantly alienating. While Garland’s effort is worth applause, it is far from sufficient.

Like Bryan Stevenson, I would like to highlight importance of a niche, i.e., compassion, as opposed to action alone. So, unless drastic measures are taken, the status quo will continue to propagate. Officers need to learn/train in a more inclusive environment, and similarly efforts should be made to address the social injustice among minority groups and your average American. Only then will dialogues work.

Russia sus, West sus

Pro Alexei Navalnies: Russia’s anti-corruption campaigners staged protests in eastern cities of Russia including Vladivostok, Irkutsk, and Krasnoyarsk. Navalny, who went on a hunger strike, needs extreme medical care, but he’s being treated at a prison hospital.

Simultaneously, Russia has moved warplanes to Crimea and bases near Ukraine, raising a concern for military intimidation. The region is volatile with allegations from West to Moscow, en growing civil dissent. Putin has issued criticism on the West’s sanctions, while highlighting the extreme importance of post pandemic socio-economic developments. Is Putin gaslighting civil dissent by highlighting post-pandemic status quo? Should the west interfere with Moscow’s ambiguous display of military power?

Other Headlines:

• Israel retaliates after Syrian missile lands near nuclear reactor: A case of classical Dick-swing
• Biden expected to recognize massacre of Armenians as genocide: sources
• Asia joins global equity rebound; oil weak on Covid-19 worries
• Credit Suisse had more than $20 Billion exposure to Archegos investments
• Cambodia police to defend caning of lockdown offenders for breaching COVID-19 rules
• Non-stop cremations cast doubt on India’s counting of COVID dead
• Oil falls 3^rd day on U.S. stock build, surging COVID-19 cases <>business India<>
• Kamala Harris to speak with Guatemalan president on Monday
• Bipartisan groiup of senators presses forward on US policing reform talks Hong Kong activists retreat as China-style justice comes to their city

2021_04_21 : Global Affairs

“We matter”

“This case is a turning point in American history for accountability of law enforcement and send a clear message we hope is heard clearly in every city and every state. “

• Benjamin Crump, Floyd Family’s attorney

Derek Chauvin’s defense and a plea for bail got squashed in a deliberation last Monday, at Minneapolis. The defense inoculated testimonies from David Fowler; says Floyd died from cardiac arrhythmia. Defense also argued that Chauvin behaved as any “reasonable officer” under the circumstances, thereby, trying to use the obscure silver lining or race and law enforcement to bolster their case.

The 12- member jury found Chauvin, 45, guilty of all three charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter after a thorough consideration from 45 testimonies. Minnesota is set to prosecute Tou Thai, J. Alexander Keung and Thomas Lane; three other officers in Floyds death.

Appeal Process: The defense can appeal within 60 days; Chauvin is likely to seek to overturn his convictions by arguing that the jury was biased by the heavy media coverage, and a settlement ($27M) in the civil case brought by Floyd’s family.

Reuter’s Analysis: Headlines overshadow deadlines

In 19998, James Hansen (US scientist) approached the congress to facilitate immediate measures to curb the warming of planet, which could increase by 1 degree by 2019. Yes, it did, and Hansen was on point. Nonetheless, the ongoing political dicots, and pandemic portfolio, etc. have contributed to diminish positive climate efforts.

When governments/civilians themselves are dismissive of established research on even Covid-19, an immediate risk to their safety, it raises due concerns on their care for environment. And as the ups and downs of 2020 narrated themselves into our lives, climate change has relentlessly throbbed in the backdrop. The Siberian Tundra is thawing as Arctic sees new-highs in temperature. Australia, South Africa, and California have burned, and these events are likely to iterate themselves again.

However, Biden is promising to re-engage on this existential issue. The White House released a report of almost $2 trillion infrastructural plan on EVs, billionaires are requesting federal banks to invest in climate-friendly securities, whereas JPMorgan is committing $2.5 trillion over the next 10 years toward climate action and sustainable development.

TikTok faces claims for privacy lawsuit/ Is it Longfield’s Tergiversate?

Anne Longfield, the former Children’s Commisioner for England is leading a class action lawsuit against ByteDance (TikTok’s Chinese parent) over allegations of illegally farming data from millions of European children.

“We believe the claims lack merit and intend to vigorously defend the action.” – says a representative for ByteDance

Nonetheless, Google is fighting a bellwether case over alleged tacking of Iphone users in 2011 and 2012 through third party cookies. All these event aggregate to invite a culture of critical thinking: Is the opportunity cost of social media culture/smartphones equivalent to having your private data harvested?

Web-comic by Gabby Schulz

Other Important Headlines:

• White House says U.S. will set a ‘large cap soon’ for refugees
• Xi Jinping will attend the U.S.-led climate summit on April 22
• Chelsea and Manchester City to withdraw from European Super League: Fans over financial gain
• Panama to buy 2 million more doses of Pfizer’s vaccine, while the production of Johnsons and Johnsons AstraZeneca vaccine faces criticism over blood clot cases
• Rebellious states hurt Gemany’s Covid response: Angela Merkel’s proposition to impose a nationwide lockdown in an effort to thwart the third wave is being compromised and criticized by state leaders who want curfews, and holidays as opposed to lockdown. Conservative and Social Democrats split into separate huddles.
• Australia’s ambition on climate change is held back by a toxic mix of rightwing politics, media and vested interests

Yippie-ki-yayyy

if someone were to ask me, what were i excited for 2019? i wouldn’t say “a new season of rick and morty” or GOT, wubba lubba dub dub 😥 , just lost half my friends but oh well.  the thing however i’m excited for would be my admission to waterford.

Soon will unfold new chapters to my life, in those chapters will be pages, pages painted with myriad of colors, “BRIGHT ONES”. an adventure/ a journey to new discoveries , a different insight to the world , new perspectives and a global home.

NOW NOW,,,,,,

Juss imagine getting to spend two years of your life at UWC, nonetheless in south africa and #highlight::: its rich culture.also, trees: here, there, everywhere. Its a rare oppurtunity,

verrrr…-…verrr raree

(JELOSS HUH)

that only some get to experience and i belong to that cohort of “some”. this eagerness, hormonal rush and me jumping on my bed re-reading my acceptance mail is gonna shorten my life span. saaad saaad

I wish earth spins fast , so january can hurry up. is that how it works?e=m*c^2

This is where My urge to dance in that big green football field of kamhlaba kicks in.

ALSO

i do hope my roommates play fortnite,and support manchester united…… oemgeee dem huupes.

#shameless plugin== co-years, do add me