domingo, 22 de abril de 2018

Are nation states nearing their end as our preferred scale of the political and socio-economic organization?

 Global governance (amongst other interesting topics in exponential view newsletter #162)
Dept of states and sovereignty
There is a notion worth revisiting: are nation states nearing their end as our preferred scale of the political and socio-economic organization? This idea lies in contrast with the “end of history” theory of modernity. 
I’ve found the question of evolving the nation-state fascinating since the early 1990s when I first came across ideas of decentralized forms of organization enabled by new electronic networks (and was contemporaneously studying political institutions and models of governance).  
Of course, recently we've seen resurgent nationalism in Turkey, the US, Britain, Hungary and many other places. This might challenge the 'end of the nation-state' thesis, this nationalism is a sort of reversion to the mean. But could it, instead, be the febrile twitching that presages rigor mortis? 
Rana Dasgupta argues this compellingly20th-century political structures are drowning in a 21st-century ocean of deregulated finance, autonomous technology, religious militancy and great-power rivalry. Meanwhile, the suppressed consequences of 20th-century recklessness in the once-colonised world are erupting, cracking nations into fragments and forcing populations into post-national solidarities 
As I’ve argued in Exponential View and elsewhere, we increasingly need to adapt our existing institutions or invent new ones in order to cope with the changes in our economies, demographics, natural resources and climate. 
As Dasgputa concludes: “This is not a small endeavor: it will take the better part of this century. We do not know yet where it will lead.” 
One example is the relationship between the corporation and the states, and the balance between their power. Almost a decade ago my friend and researcher, Stephanie Hare, introduced me to the idea of ‘corporate foreign policy’, the notion that states needed to formally recognize that the emerging dominance of technology platforms merited a formal quasi-diplomatic status. Some years later, the forward-thinking Danes appointed Casper Klynge as the world’s first Technology Ambassador, in the vein first described to me by Stephanie several years earlier. 
In other cases, governments seem unwilling or incapable to execute on their duties - for example, maintaining their integrity in the face of or responses to cyber attacks (which are not really any different from other types of hostility). In those situations, private corporations are stepping in to fill or exploit the vacuum.

sábado, 21 de abril de 2018

Radiografía del 'business angel' español ( by @IESEInsight & @AEBAN_es )

Datos del Informe business angels 2018. La inversión en startups: actividad y tendencias, elaborado por el profesor Juan Roure Amparo de San José, directora de la Red de Inversores Privados y Family Offices del IESE.

IESE Insight ¿Cómo es y qué le interesa al 'business angel' español?

El perfil del business angel español gana en consistencia, ya que acumula más operaciones y años de experiencia a sus espaldas. Además, dos de cada tres han ocupado puestos directivos de alto nivel o han emprendido previamente en una startup.

Esta tercera edición del estudio señala que el conocimiento del sector y la presencia de tecnologías disruptivas son elementos destacados al valorar oportunidades de inversión, mientras que el impacto social es todavía una asignatura pendiente.

En cuanto a los elementos con un mayor potencial disruptivo en los próximos años, el informe apunta a blockchain, todo lo relacionado con la movilidad y el coche conectado, así como el auge del sector fintech.

Además, la investigación, realizada en colaboración con la Asociación Española de Redes de Business Angels (AEBAN), señala que la presencia de las mujeres en este segmento de inversión se mantiene estancado por debajo del 10%.





lunes, 16 de abril de 2018

10 Most Common Writing Mistakes You Should Avoid Making (by @zapier)

If you want to polish your prose—whether you're writing a blog post, an email, or a report for your team—the next time you get to typing, consult this checklist of common writing mistakes.
Write Better: The 10 Most Common Writing Mistakes You Should Avoid Making – Zapier blog

1. The Intro Is Unnecessarily Long

2. Explanations Are Handwavy or Lacking Backup

3. The Content Was Written in Passive Voice

4. Too Many Words!

5. The Conclusion Doesn't Conclude or Doesn't Exist


Micro Writing Mistakes We All Make

6. Heed the Homophones

7. Apostrophe Catastrophes

8. Comma and Semicolon Confusion

9. Repetitive Words Repeat

10. Misused Words


Oxford comma confusion


domingo, 8 de abril de 2018

sábado, 7 de abril de 2018

How Artificial Intelligence Is Reshaping Commerce (by @cbinsights )


 Retail’s Adapt-Or-Die Moment: How Artificial Intelligence Is Reshaping Commerce
"Traditional and new-school retailers alike are using AI and robotics to automate various parts of the retail chain, from manufacturing to last-mile delivery."
Despite the rise of AI-based solutions, only a handful of traditional brands have been effectively implementing AI strategies to drive business efficiency. 
But AI is reshaping the retail workforce — from manufacturing to last-mile logistics — and players across the retail ecosystem will have to adapt to stay relevant. 
Tech giants like Alibaba and Amazon continue to push the boundaries, applying AI to retail and amassing massive consumer datasets. Recently, Alibaba announced that it is spending $15B on quantum computing, AI, and other technologies. 
Smaller startups are also seeing an opportunity here and seizing it. For example, Swedish startup Soundots recently raised $4M to democratize the “cashierless store” automation solution, helping retailers achieve something similar to Amazon’s Go stores.