BFM's Profile

Great post, MD. It is very interesting to see how Netflix has made such a big chance in the way content is produced and in the way the content managers base their intuitions on data. As a Netflix power user, I have noticed how they A/B test the pictures that they use for the same movie.

The only drawback that I would see in their strategy is the fact that the diversity of the content on the platform might suffer. The creativity of the content might be hindered by the fact that Netflix would focus their production efforts on the content that they know will work and might become very risk-averse in the content they buy. The Netflix business model so far relied on the diversity of their content and I am afraid that they might actually become a “new network” and only produce/buy mainstream content.

Great read. It seems that the system is offering great results and seems like a good potential for cities around the world, based on the efficiency that it demonstrated. However, before recommending to expand the program further, I would love to understand what safeguards the NYPD has put in place to make sure that the data is handled in an ethical ways and what protection practices they have set up to prevent leaks from the system. Generally, as you underline, Big Data can offer strong promises in terms of holistically tackling social issues, however, it comes with a big tradeoff in the risk that the data manipulation represent.

Very interesting, TRooney. I had very limited knowledge of this industry, it is fascinating to see how technology is disrupting this industry. In the article, you mention that the company is expanding internationally. However, it seems that Western Europe is not part of this international expansion. Do you happen to know why ? Are there any privacy restriction ?

Talking about privacy, there has been some controversy in Europe recently on the fact that governments could use such technologies. An example of that is when the Greek government used similar technologies to track the owner of swimming pool for tax reasons.

Very interesting article. It is very interesting to see how historical “brick and mortar” retailers are now turning their physical presence into a strength and asset. While many historical retailers can consider ecommerce as a threat, it is great to see how Macy’s is actually using this presence to build efficient e-commerce logistic operations. My question is: are other retailers adopting a similar strategy or is Macy’s the frontrunner in that space ?

Very interesting post, Pete. I find it very interesting that Uber critically needs to be a frontrunner in the world of automobile automatization. As you rightfully mention in your post, labour accounts for the largest share of costs for Uber. It seems that Uber will have no choice but to replace drivers by self-driving cars. It is important to note that Google is a big investor in Uber which might accelerate the adoption of self-driving cars for passenger transportation as demonstrated by the pilot currently running in Pittsburgh, PA.

This is a very interesting article, PVF. I am very interested in the solutions that are available to find substitutes for meat. AS you successfully highlight it, the meat industry accounts for a large share of the global carbon emission. To further your research, I wanted to highlight that some companies are looking at substitutes from other animals/protein sources. Insects appear to be a more sustainable source of protein for humanity. I would also advise you to look up some initiatives that then tend to borrow from the “3D printing” industry to create reconstructed proteins at scale.

As a certified diver, I wanted to thank you for this article that shines a new light on the practice of scuba diving. I have been diving with PADI for years and am always amazed by how they consistently and growingly insist on the need for scuba diving to weave in the demands of sustainability. Yet, I agree that their activity carbon emissions are mostly tied to the travels needed for divers to go the sites. It appears to me that it is actually a lever that they do not control.

As someone with limited knowledge about the mining industry, I think this article does a great job at providing valuable info on the impact that mining has on Global Warming. An other angle to look at the impact of the mining industry on climate is the fact that the industry heavily relies on transportation. Mining activities are more and more focused in some areas, as some Western markets have divested in their own mines due to higher labor costs.

Great article ! I think this article is very well documented and gives some very useful context points, complementing what we can read in the news these days around how the Saudi government is investing the proceeds of oil to other “greener” or more promising industries. I am stronglt convinced that the Saudi government should leverage the revenues generated by oil to invest in R&D and become the next powerhouse for green and sustainable energy. After all, Saudi Arabia could become a leading country in Solar Power. While this would not pay off immediately, that would provide them with more sustainable sources of revenue in the future.

Very interesting article, siyer. Interestingly, I worked on a similar topic, focusing on McDonald’s France supply chain. As you might know, France is one of the top international markets for McDonald’s and a market that they have successfully been using over the years as a testing ground. In the post I wrote, I detail the initiatives that they took, including how adapting their trucks has allowed them to be more efficient in their supply chain and how changing their “last mile” fleet to electrical vehicles has proven to be very useful. I fully understand that some of these initiatives are more efficient in France and Europe due to the higher fuel prices and shorter distances but we could definitely imagine that they could scale some of these practices in North America.