coach's Profile

Donald, I found your post very interesting because I have been personally frustrated by the car buying and selling industry’s lack of transparency and structure. I am excited for technology to create better communication and accurate pricing data, and it seems like Auto1 is taking steps in the right direction. I think a big thing will for Auto1 to build trust with its buyers and sellers by being transparent in its process and prices. People may have a tendency to mistrust Auto1’s data due to the industry’s history of shadiness.

N, very interesting post! As Yao wrote, I am also concerned about the credit risk, but I guess that is true for all lending companies. With the rise of Venmo and Paypal, P2P lending seems to work when it is within a close group a friends. It is neat how Yirendai has created an automated investment product for lenders. I hope that the company is doing a good job of researching credit worthiness!

Very interesting post mon ami. I had no idea that shipping represents 80% of global trade volume. It’s amazing that although it is extremely capital intensive to build a cargo ship a the simple improvement in communication can produce massive savings. I am excited to watch how the shipping industry uses technology to better coordinate shipments.

C, really enjoyed reading your post because I am conflicted about getting a FitBit type product myself. As you noted, it is neat how Wahoo is both a hardware and software company, but they have chosen to open their data to be compatible with multiple devices. I am excited to see how the industry of “digital fitness tracking” evolves over the coming years.

F, really enjoyed your post. It hits home how this issue is affecting our Cambridge and Boston communities. I was not aware of the impact of showering during rainstorms but it makes sense that every little bit helps. I hope that more cities and companies adopt this technology.

It’s easy to think that climate change happens “somewhere else” like melting at the polar ice caps or flooding in poor, remote islands. I am guilty of this too and it’s understandable to think that climate change is a theoretical concept until it impacts your life. Hopefully Superstorm Sandy’s arrival in Manhattan was a wake-up call to Americans, especially in the northeast.

It is interesting for me to read about all of the direct actions ConEd is taking. From investing in infrastructure, smart technology, clean energy, and reaching out to consumers through incentives, I am impressed how ConEd is extremely targeted in its plan. I am most excited about ConEd reaching out to its consumers and the ways that ConEd can publicize its actions so that consumers can educate themselves and their communities. ConEd could transform from just a utilities company to an energy education company. Apartment renters and homeowners all want to reduce their costs, so if ConEd helps create an easy system for consumers to reduce costs through environmental action then I think they make significant progress.

Like the frog who doesn’t realize the water in the pot is boiling until it’s too late, I hope that we can take decisive actions now. No single company or person can reverse the trend, but we also can’t do it without every single person and company’s help.

Awesome post, I had not thought about how ride-sharing, electric cars, and autonomous driving could all fit together in the future- it’s like the Jetsons’ world isn’t that far away. It’s also cool how Ford is targeting the least fuel efficient vehicles in its EV strategy (trucks and SUVs). If Ford can tap into converting these 2 segments, then maybe it can catch on and spread to “light vehicles”.

As you wrote, I am also concerned about the timeline. Is 2030 too far away to make an impact? At the same time, it will probably take at least that long to develop a network of EV recharging stations. As a consumer interested in EVs myself, I would be less worried about buying an EV if I knew there were reliable charging options. I hope Ford can continue it’s efforts since transportation is such a big contributor to the climate change problem!

I had no idea how much agricultural production has contributed to emissions. I’ve always thought that farming is a good thing for society and obviously producing food is good, but I am now more aware that we need to do it in a less environmentally-harmful way. From Del Monte’s actions, it seems like the current goals are to be more efficient with resources and to stop using harmful fertilizers. As you wrote, I also hope that new technology will help Del Monte reduce it’s impact.

I think it is really scary how extreme weather events have more frequently impacted in global food availability and price volatility. Food is essential to life, so the outcomes could be extremely disastrous if we don’t get this right. Hopefully Del Monte can take the lead and hold its independent growers to its high (but necessary) standards.

Having never heard of re-insurance before your blog post, I’m glad that you chose this topic because it clearly connects both the physical and financial impacts of climate change. Insurance companies at their core are intended to reduce risk, but when the impacts of climate change become too big and unpredictable, it’s scary that companies like SwissRe are choosing to limit their exposure to certain areas.

Historical trends aren’t predictive of a changing future and models’ projections contain unproven assumptions; this is a real problem for the future of insurance. It is neat how SwissRe is changing from a re-insurance company to a climate change advising company.

My favorite part of your post is your analogy to the Great Fire of 1666. Everyone (from insurance companies to governments to any business) needs to band together to create “fire departments” to combat climate change. As you wrote, “fire departments” will serve financial goals for all the contributors by reducing risk and it will directly improve our environment.

I think it’s awesome that GM self-reports its emissions and its entire supply chain emissions. I wish every company followed this practice and then widely publicized the results. I agree that the first step towards making progress is admitting that there is a problem and then educating the public about how to act.

The “push” and “pull” factors are really interesting. I would strongly consider an electric car for my next car purchase, but I am worried about the feasibility of sufficient electric-recharging stations. As you reference, GM and other car companies will need to explain to consumers how practical and accessible electric cars are to over come fears like mine. Great post.