RL's Profile

Great job communicating such technical information, Bernie! I think that being able to build organs for both r&d and transplant purposes opens up a potentially incredible new world of medical possibility. That said, I think the ethical question is an important one. At what point are organs, “organs”? And if these are of a lesser quality than human organs (assuming they can even be developed to the point of being comparable), will real human transplants only go to certain populations versus the synthetic versions? Who judges who gets what or keeps these out of the hands of private individuals (who, by definition, may be incredibly desperate at this point). I can’t wait to read more.

This is great Arting! I think the combination of fashion houses and 3D printing will actually be a very powerful one. Fashion houses are known as bastions of creativity where creativity largely flows down from a single visionary. 3D printing can open up so many possibilities (especially in fashion, where aesthetic designs, once three-dimensional, can be endless), but the number of options can actually be paralyzing. Constraints are a phenomenal catalyst of innovation. When an iron-fisted design vision takes advantage of this technology, however, I can only imagine what might be thought up.

Very interesting! I love this model. To answer your question, I don’t think that physicians will ever be fully displaced. They (perhaps assisted by AI diagnostic tools) will be the frontlines of patient care because it seems that patients want it that way. But when it comes to hospital stays, I think this is a genius idea. There is no need for doctors to go on rounds (using valuable time) or for equal nursing resources to be devoted to all kinds of patients. If patients can be monitored remotely in one center, the highest risk patients will receive the proportionately correct amount of care relative to others (and low-risk patients less) as the hospital is effectively enjoying economies of scale in the actual practice of monitoring. Now that we have remote sensors and high-speed connections, having a centralized control room seems like it will lead to great efficiencies.

Great job! I think your first question is a very important one: how can companies reconcile AI with customers’ privacy concerns? I know that Google originally got in lots of hot water upon the debut of advertising in GMail when people thought it was reading their emails, despite the fact that computers need to read the text to render it anyways. In Amex’s case, I think a subtle approach will be best. They have a very engaged cardholder rewards community, so I think that offering suggestions as a new “perk” offering (rather than as apparent advertising) will be a very efficient channel for driving customer belief. Customer suggestions are a product for which packaging and context is everything. With the right context, personalized suggestions will be a powerful product.

This is fantastic, Nancy. I love looking into civic infrastructure and how cities can improve their services, so this was so interesting to read. San Jose is, of course, blessed to be surrounded by tech companies that want to use it as a base for showcasing new technologies and demonstrating corporate citizenship, but I think that these kinds of endeavors can be undertaken by cities all over the world. Private companies can operate so nimbly and efficiently when utilized correctly, but too many governments are beholden to burdensome procurement processes or union contracts that stifle innovation. With the proper coalition building, I think these can be overcome, but demonstrating the increased broader utility to the city will be key.

One question I have is: how can cities installing digital infrastructure ensure everything won’t be obsolete in five years? Digital technology moves faster than road technology–there will need to be modularization to allow for systems to be swapped in and out.

Great read. I find what Glossier is doing so fascinating because of how it in many ways is completely reversing the way trends are set. I tend to think of fashion and beauty trends as being determined by an individual designer or tastemaker (such as Anna Wintour) and then trickling down to consumers from there. Fashion seems to be about trying to buy into or aspire to someone else’s lifestyle. Here, I think Glossier is capturing millenials’ desire to participate and co-create with brands to reach beyond simple user engagement or product creation: they are building a community brand. I’m sure customer LTVs are much higher as a result. I agree, however, that it is unclear how Glossier can maintain the uniqueness of its community when better-resourced rivals are trying to copy their tactics. I think the trick lies in maintaining authenticity and a direct line of communication to their fans.