msmith's Profile

Thanks for sharing this Bruna. I think you hit the nail on the head when you spoke about how the traditional grocery store can offer a physical experience that cannot be matched by e-grocers. For this reason I would be focusing on providing as good an “in-store” experience as possible. Personally, I love it when Wholefoods gives me free samples 🙂 I also question the quality assurance e-grocers can offer – do you know of any guarantees they offer? Shopping in-store, one can select which apple one deems the best out of a selection of 100s. Although the e-grocer delivers a convenience that cannot be matched by tradition grocer stores, I feel they have enough unique levers to still thrive into the future.

Thanks for sharing Exxon. It really is a interesting dilemma newspaper/media companies face. On one hand, every person with a smartphone and internet access is now a “reporter” which as you pointed out, diminishes the necessity of news outlets to provide breaking news coverage. On the other, I feel that we as a society need responsible, insightful analysis and coverage more than ever. Unfortunately, given the way online content is distributed today (typically through subscription model), I feel that reputable media outlets are reaching less people than ever. In order to expand my revenue base I would be looking into a freemium style model that allows anyone to read a select number of articles each day. Consumers would then have the option to pay a fee to subscribe additional content. Given this would likely increase the consumer base, I would expect it may all news companies to charge a higher premium for advertisements.

Thanks for the post Brittany – a really interesting topic. I am keen to understand the type of margin HackerOne reserves for itself? Do companies have to request HockerOne’s services or do the security researches visit large online platforms to test for weaknesses independently? Cyber security is something that I am woefully ignorant of, however your article highlights its importance and in some respects, the urgency that we need to move to protect sensitive online content.

Thanks for posting this Rob. I’m interested to know the implications of such technology on the overall style of the game……in your opinion how has the game evolved over the past 20 years? Has the emergence of this technology contributed to a more rapid change of tactics? Also if all teams now uses this technology on their own players as well as their opposition, why aren’t we seeing lower scoring games? Happy to speak with you in class about this rather than post responses. I also liked how you spoke about technology being complimentary rather than a substitute.

Thanks for the essay Fransisco. I particularly like this example because it speaks to immediate, low cost solutions that many communities can employ to reap the rewards of digitization. Although driver-less cars may be the future, the technology you have discussed in your review will play an important role in getting some quick wins for congestion and efficient road utilization. Is this technology limited to highway applications? I would be interest to understand what / if any impact it would have on inner-city congestion. I particularly liked your comment regarding private investors being more willing to invest in roads with this capability.

For obvious reasons, this issue is near and dear to my heart – I’m glad that you covered it Mary. The phrase ‘ocean acidification’ sounds too big to tackle. I am concerned that there aren’t more localized initiatives that will lessen coral bleaching. Perhaps this is because the are no quick wins this space. One interesting idea that I discovered after reading Kelly’s review on the Oyster Industry was that kelp absorbs CO2 which helps to neutralize water acidity. I am not sure if the conditions around the great barrier reef are conducive to kelp growth but it would be interesting to find out. Additionally, I wonder if there are any other strategies that exist that actively combat ocean acidification. It seems as if there is much work to be done in this space.

Awesome review Raphael. As a shareholder of an insurance company (albeit a extremely small shareholder), I have been worrying about the sustainability of the industry. The idea of reinsurance is of particular interest to me. My question is, if these insurance companies take out reinsurance, who bears the cost? Is there a separate industry for reinsurance?

My other concern is that there is an inherent tension between companies vying for market share by competing on price and coverage coupled with a world where extreme weather events are increasing in both frequency and ferocity. I think that we could begin to see insurance companies as the climate becomes more unstable…… Maybe I should get out while I can 😉

Thanks for the insight Bruna. I agree that waste companies have a unique opportunity to further educate consumers on the benefits of waste separation (i.e. recycling, rubbish, compost). The friction I see with this is the way in which products are packaged and delivered to consumers. If I think of a typical lunch in Spangler – food is placed in biodegradable containers and then typically eaten with plastic cutlery. What often happens is that people will dispose of both the biodegradable container and plastic cutlery together, creating a mix of both compost and trash which will require future separation . It could be argued that the responsibility of “correct” rubbish disposal falls on the end consumer, but I think that suppliers can also play a part by making products designed for consumer, all inclusive (e.g. biodegradable drink with biodegradable straw included). This is not the strongest example but I think that we as consumers are falling short of our duty to separate rubbish effectively. As such, other mechanisms to incentivize correct disposal or reduce friction from the disposal process need to be examined.

So first and foremost, the puns in this article are unreal! Secondly, the content is fascinating. I wasn’t aware that “underwater plants” such as kelp processed CO2 at an equivalent efficiency of land based plants. I’d be interested in understanding how far-reaching the neutralizing effect of kelp can be (i.e. could oyster farmers effectively maintain suitable water pH in a body of water purely by additional kelp?). Additionally, are there any farming techniques to encourage kelp growth? Given that the taste of an oyster is unique to the location it was grown, forced relocation of oyster farms is likely to have a significant impact on the flvavor that people have come to know and love.

I found this discussion paper fascinating – particularly given the potential ethical conflict you alluded to i.e. is Memphis Meats playing God? Genetically modified / lab-grown products are subject of extensive public debate however if you run the numbers for population growth vs food supply, supply simply falls short. This challenge is exacerbated by the fact that the current food trend is emphasizing organically grown products, which typically have lower yields (this point was also made in MPDHBS2018). Ultimately I think there is a balance to be struck between “traditionally” sourced food and lab-grown produce. Like you, I see this as a highly pressing issue and would like to see Memphis Meats play a larger role in this discussion. Great work!