This post started as a Tweetstorm. Follow me! The Wall Street Journal has an article about how traditional carmakers like Ford are benefiting from the surge in e-commerce delivery. This got me thinking: Booming growth in ecommerce has obviously reshaped traditional businesses like retail and delivery. And much has been made of the fact that … Continue reading Delivery Vans and Manufacturing Moats
There is an article in the Wall Street Journal today about how Amazon promotes its own private label products above comparable search results on its site. The article dives into various internal politics in Amazon, but I want to focus on the core contention, because there are certain assumptions the article makes – about e-commerce, … Continue reading Amazon and Private Label Goods
In general, I’m a fan of the Netherland’s flagship airline, KLM. I’ve flown them multiple times and had pleasant flights. And online, they have an aggressive, inventive Facebook presence, and generally have good marketing campaigns. But a recent email they sent caught my eye. You’ll notice a few minor — but still obvious — errors … Continue reading A Difference Between Fluent and Mother-Tongue Level Writing
Shortly after I turned 13, I was faced with a choice many young people faced in the early 2000s — Windows or Mac? (The Get a Mac ads wouldn’t air for another two years). I had a bit of cash from my Bar Mitzvah, and a burgeoning interest in filmmaking. I remember going to Circuit … Continue reading Cinema Displays and Moviemaking
I’ve written about the fabulous journaling app Day One before, but exactly a month ago, I crossed the 1,500-entry threshold. I began journaling on-and-off on a trip to San Francisco in 2013, but began again in earnest about two years later. Since June 2015, I haven’t missed a day. I find that journaling is enjoyable … Continue reading Day One: 1,531 Entries
The other day, I got an email from Chase, letting me know about some offer I had waiting for me, provided I downloaded Chase Pay, their digital payments app. When I went to the App Store and searched for “Chase Pay,” I discovered three rather distinct Chase banking products, which, taken together, nicely represent a … Continue reading Finance Apps and their Contents
A few weeks ago, the iconically American motorcycle brand Harley-Davidson announced that it would be shifting some production overseas, so as to avoid stiff retaliatory tariffs placed on it by the EU. Much of the coverage of Harley has been centered on its American-ness, and particularly its resonance with folks of a certain age (here’s … Continue reading Born to be Mild
A few days ago, I ran the Jerusalem Marathon. As I lined up at the start line, I looked around and noticed the wide variety of runners around me; some were kitted out in compression socks and CamelBaks, and an interpid few wore nothing more than racing singlets and 2-inch split shorts in 52-degree weather. … Continue reading Assorted Thoughts on AirPods
Yesterday, I got an email from Amazon, letting me know that my Prime card* would now get me 5% back at Whole Foods. What strikes me as interesting about the marriage of Amazon and Whole Foods is how Amazon is using Whole Foods as a unique beachhead in its rapid assault on other retail incumbents. … Continue reading Organic Foods. Prime Benefits.
I started trading stocks on the internet when I was 14, in the early 2000s. My first purchase was a few shares of Microsoft, which I bought with some of my Bar Mitzvah money. I used an online broker, and paid a whopping $7.95 for the transaction. I vividly remember using a school computer to … Continue reading 💵 Young Money
Silicon Spatula 