Bhargav's Profile

Fascinating post. I’m curious what you think the future of medical training will look like in terms of quality and quantity if this trend continues. Do we see more outsourcing of schooling as well? Or do we tailor training in schools to patient care and holistic treatment while diagnosis and operation is placed in the hands of our most trusted AI/ML bots?

Brad — fun and entertaining post. Quick question for you: do you suggest private and public uses of such location data be separated and specified, as well as regulated separately.

Sotaro, I really like the research that you’re citing on Norway and BOE’s forays into the space. There is a lot of new economic modeling this year (esp the 2016 BOE report) that suggests its just as costly not to explore DC issuance than it is to assume the risks. Curious on your take on these opportunity costs?

Rapha, great read. I was also curious about the push advertising for broadway vs BroadwayHD…specifically what do you think is the non-social strategy? Is this a convenience / impulse product purchase that means you’re likely to buy from a YouTube ad on your phone or is this a platform product that engages people the same way Netflix might and thus requires a more comprehensive marketing strategy?

Steve – great read. Both of us were at the Tech Conference Future of Food panel and met the COO of Impossible Foods. My question for you is about what he said: that the key to this movement is not the product, the R&D, the implementation, or the distribution. It’s the marketing. Specifically, he also said that it’s important to market this to non-vegetarians first – those who really love a burger. Then, the vegans and vegetarians will follow (or will just naturally jump on the bandwagon without targeted marketing).

I’m really curious as to whether you agree with that. If so, what are the types of marketing messages, channels, and media you would use to reach the target market. …and as a result, how quickly can this product diffuse into its adoption cycle? Let’s keep our ongoing dialogue going on this issue!

Fascinating (and potentially-alarming) post! There are some parallels between almonds in California and chocolate in Nigeria and SSA (sub-Saharan Africa) countries with drought. I really like the four proposed solutions you list but would be curious to know what you think about their investments in irrigation and what exactly they are? For example, investing in drip-irrigation and soil maintenance can make farmers more efficient with their water usage.

Another idea is to set an international market for water rights credits (e.g., the BEF WRC credits; https://store.b-e-f.org/products/water-restoration-certificates-blend/). What do you think about these more efficient marketplace type solutions?

Rapha – interesting and (as always) entertaining. When I last visited Venice, residents seemed to be of two minds: (1) the sink is inevitable so enjoy it while we have it or (2) it’s time to leave. I am curious your take on why residents are so fatalistic when MOSE can help the city accommodate. Perhaps, it is because of the tension you highlight around versatility vs. resilience. There is even a xenophobia-fueled but likely-warranted response around worries that visitors are contributing to the problem (http://www.ibtimes.com/venice-tourism-debate-2015-residents-fear-visitors-are-destroying-their-city-demand-2063682). I guess what intrigues me most is how citizens react when their government have a plan but they don’t buy it.

(Source for my stats: https://www.califiafarms.com/faqs)

Dan, good to have some almond-interested company! I see that you point out that Califia is currently focusing on encouraging responsible irrigation methods like drip and soil-monitored irrigation. However, they are also (1) working to limit the water use in their manufacturing process with a 64% per-unit reduction in water usage over the last year; and (2) they ensure that 100% of their processed water is reused by local businesses near their San Joaquin Valley headquarters. I actually think these measures taken together make them one of the most responsible dairy/dairy substitute companies out there.

However, I am still intrigued by your inclination that they must innovate laterally as opposed to focusing on what you call “incremental efficiencies”. While technology can create step-function change in the space, is Califia the right organization to be investing in hit-or-miss solutions?

Thanks for this thoughtful and illuminating post. It inspired me to read the Shock Waves report by The World Bank on how climate change can prevent mobility out of poverty (https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/22787/9781464806735.pdf). The report highlighted to me the role of climate change in food insecurity. I am curious as to whether there is an opportunity for industry-representing organizations to lobby for international policy changes that ensure responsible consumption as it relates to climate change’s effect on food security. It seems to me that there is a bit of a collective action issue. Unless both government and industry agents can come together to commit to group action, there will be natural distributive effects that favor those who continue to produce seeds that cannot be consumed responsibly.