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One potential solution to the scalability challenge could be to build a network of external providers that are trained to use Ginger.io. In a way, this would be similar to how Uber selects and trains drivers to partner with. But in the case of Ginger.io, the screening, training and performance monitoring would have to be much more strict. This would reduce the needed capital and could help Ginger.io to grow faster while maintaining control over the quality of the service.

I am really curious on how the content distribution industry will end up. Customers want a one-stop product that has everything, which is Netflix aspiration. However, a scenario in which the big media companies will allow a single aggregator to have so much power is hard to imagine. The alternative, which is using multiple streaming platforms also sounds strange as an end-scenario in this era of winner-takes-all internet monopolies.

I tend to think that the first scenario – having one (or very few) dominant streaming platforms – is more probable. Users are lazy. They value the convenience of using only one platform. In this sense, a company such as Netflix could grow so big that media companies will have no option but to distribute their content through them.

Yes, their longer term goal is actually to prevent all sorts of chronic diseases. As you mention, heart disease, together with diabetes, are the main cause of death both in the US and in Mexico, and both diseases have similar root causes. In that way, the company has a natural fit to also target patients in risk of suffering from a heart disease. I hope that they will be ready soon to launch this second prevention program.

Regarding assortive mating, I actually think that dating apps can help people to find their significant other outside of their social circle, which is normally composed of persons from a similar socioeconomic background. In this sense, I expect the proliferation of dating apps to help create more diverse couples who otherwise wouldn’t have met.

Growing up in a closed and conservative society, I think this is a very positive thing. Many people who feel that they don’t fit in their communities are now able to more easily find a partner. This in turn can influence such closed social circles to become more open.

My concern with this model is that there is an inherent conflict of interest. Accor is incentivised to give priority to its own hotels over the independent listings. In such marketplaces, having premium “real estate” makes all the difference. Therefore, the team managing this site must be completely impartial. This could be achieved with the right organisational structure and a compensation scheme that fosters objectivity.

While it is true that Pearson is facing challenges due to the distribution of educational content opening up, the size of the educational opportunity is growing fast. Larger populations, decreasing poverty and growing smartphone penetration are allowing much more people to try online courses. Pearson’s initiatives seem relevant to take advantage of digital opportunities.

Naturally there is a risk of this market also being “winner takes it all” (such as search), but I believe that there is enough segmentation of customer needs to allow for many different competitors in this fast growing space.

In addition to the policy issue that you mention, automakers face the traditional innovators dilemma. Traditional vehicles still acount for most of their business and they have conflicting incentives to invest in PEVs. If they were truly interested in growing their PEV in their biggest market – the US – they would have aligned the incentives to do so a while ago. They will not start to really care until Tesla (or someone committed to PEVs) eats their whole lunch. But then it will be too late.

As a consultant, one of my favorite projects was with an alcoholic beverages company in Mexico. On thing that I remember about the industry are its high margins, which give these companies some freedom to invest in special initiatives. In addition, the target market for scotch tends to be people with a higher socioeconomic background, who tend to appreciate sustainability efforts.

I believe that Diageo can leverage this efforts for brand building purposes. One example that comes to my mind is Stella Artois (AB InBev) supporting the Water.org foundation to help raise awareness of the water crisis issue.

Thanks for the post Agnes! I am especially interested in finding out about ways in which big cities are dealing with CO2 emissions and traffic issues. While living in Mexico City, I was constantly stuck in traffic and feeling sick because of the high levels of pollution. The city administration also launched a couple of initiatives that were helpful, such us “Hoy No Circula” that limited the number of cars that could circulate in a day. Best practices can be shared among these highly populated urban areas to solve these big issues.

I agree with Margaret. The main challenge for any new technology is to achieve scale – especially for one that requires so much investment in infrastructure. The only scenario in which Toyota should pursue a strategy around FCVs is if they truly believe that this technology is far superior and will be the ultimate winner. If that is not the case, then they should focus on EVs. But pursuing both avenues will keep them from being a leader in either segment.

I grew up practicing the Catholic religion in a very conservative city. Within my community, it seemed that Catholicism was more about condemning extramarital sex and birth control than about working to solve important issues – corruption, poverty, health issues, crime, etc. In other words, focusing on sexual topics was a more powerful way to gather support.

Although I think it is great that the church is now supporting the fight against climate change, I am not sure if this is enough to revert the downward trend. The main themes that the church has used to attract believers have not been focused on logic, but rather on feelings of personal fear and guilt. Climate change on the other hand is more about working towards the long-term sustainability of our world. I struggle seeing how they would be able to use this as a way to attract followers.