Capitalogix

Here Are Some Links For Your Weekly Reading - March 10th, 202

Here are some of the posts that caught my eye recently. Hope you find something interesting.

Lighter Links:

• OpenAI Reveals New Details About ChatGPT 5 Development and Its Future Business Structure. (Geeky-Gadgets)
• Apple Hinted at Big AI Plans. Here's What AppleGPT Might Entail. (FastCompany)
• TikTok Seems Pretty Worried About Getting Banned. (NYMag)
• Brain-Imaging Experiment Reveals the Secret Behind Creative Flow. (ScienceAlert)
• The New Era of Super-Exponential Growth. (PsychologyToday)

 

Trading Links:

• Temu is the Biggest Advertiser on Meta. What Could Go Wrong? (Insider)
• The Economics of the AI Revolution. (Mises)
• Gold, Utilities & Treasuries are Experiencing Sharp & Sudden Rallies at the Same Time. (LeadLagReport)
• Family Offices Have Tripled Since 2019, Creating a New Gold Rush on Wall Street. (CNBC)
• Bespoke Rolls-Royce is the World's Most Expensive Car at $31M — It Drew Inspiration From Yachts: ‘Heaven on Earth'. (NYPost)

Checking Back In with Dr. Doom

In 2018, while in New York for work, I was invited to a party that ended up being a pretty unique experience. 

The rules were that for the first hour it would be first names only, no discussion of what you do, etc. Part of the fun was figuring out who was there and why they were special. And, there were a lot of pretty impressive people in the room. As I was wondering who was able to bring all these experts and thought leaders into one home for a house party, I found it was Nouriel Roubini - the infamous Harvard economist known as Dr. Doom. 

Nouriel Roubini's predictions have earned him the nicknames "Dr. Doom" and "PermaBear" in the media. He predicted the housing bubble crash in 2007-2008, and has extensively studied the collapse of emerging economies. 

So, after a tumultuous few years for the global economy, I thought I'd check back in and see what he was saying. 

It turns out he's less pessimistic than you would guess. He's pretty optimistic about 2024 growth and not particularly worried about a recession—though he is expecting a downturn. 

He also thinks there's a possibility that growth remains above potential, and inflation remains sticky. That would be good news for the economy, but bad news for markets – as the Fed likely wouldn't cut as much or as soon as people are hoping for. 

Now, Nouriel has been wrong before, and I don't trust any singular pundit. My mindset is to listen to voices that don't already believe what I do. I tend to be optimistic as a rule, and I've been optimistic on things like blockchain, whereas Nouriel has been staunchly negative.

But, he's a smart and educated voice who can justify his opinions. And I end up more educated - and often modifying my stance a little bit - based on the context he's able to give. 

By the way, as I was editing this post, I saw that Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and billionaire hedge fund founder Ray Dalio admit they got warnings on the US economy wrong — for now.

Are you listening to voices outside of your preferred channels?

The State Of Pop Culture As An Allegory For All Culture

There are talks of a Gladiator 2, of remaking American Psycho, of another John Wick or Fast & Furious ...

It feels like art has begun to repeat itself more than before. That's not to say we've never had copycats or derivative works ... but that as media has become more ubiquitous, its influence has become more heavy-handed. 

It feels like there isn't a place in the current market for mid-budget films targeting a niche market and a release that makes a bit of money... Instead, it's all blockbusters or straight-to-DVD (now straight to streaming.) 

While it "feels" that way, the data agrees with that belief. 

via Adam Mastroianni

I'm using movies as the benchmark, but if you go to Adam's article, You can see it's true for authors, musicians, the silver screen, and more. 

Media, like the news, and capitalism, has arguably become an oligopoly. 

It's interesting to see because, in all three scenarios, the internet has led to the rise of indie initiatives. There are more entrepreneurs than ever. There are more independent news sources than ever, and by a large margin, more "art" is being created than ever before. 

Access to ears, creation, and opportunity has never been more widespread.

And yet, the vast majority of dollars and eyes have congregated on a select few. Like the dwindling middle class, art seems to be moving away from the mid-market. 

Mastroianni offers various theories, but I'd love to hear yours ... 

What do you think is causing this shift, and what do you think it would take to create a more equal distribution?

Is it even possible? Does human nature prevent it?

The Most Valuable Brands In 2024

In the past, most profitable companies built or sold tangible products. The Titans of industry were automobile manufacturers, oil producers, land owners, etc.

Over the past 20 years, the Titans have changed dramatically. Now, many of the leaders are in tech, IP, and other intangible assets.

Here are the most valuable companies as of today. 

via visualcapitalist

Now, to be clear, these aren't the most profitable companies. This is about value. 

That being said, it wouldn't be surprising to see Apple top either of those lists. Meanwhile, Tesla has dropped off the Top 10 list due to more EV competition and probably some backlash from Elon Musk's Twitter purchase. 

Also, unsurprisingly, Nvidia is the fastest-growing brand right now. 

With technology becoming more ubiquitous and businesses booming, I think the trend will continue, which makes protecting your businesses' intangibles even more important. 

Patents and trademarks are a great way to build a moat between you and your competitors. Remember, however, that anything you get a patent on becomes public knowledge - so be careful with your trade secrets.

Here Are Some Links For Your Weekly Reading - March 3rd, 2024

Here are some of the posts that caught my eye recently. Hope you find something interesting.

Lighter Links:

• LeBron James Becomes First Player in NBA History to Score 40,000 Career Points. (CNN)
• Elon Musk-OpenAI Lawsuit Explained in 5 Mins.(TheAlgorithmicBridge)
• Behavioral Economics Can Explain the Challenges of Online Dating.(MondayEconomist)
• The US Army is Breeding a New Kind of Arctic Warrior by 'Testing the Mettle of the Human' in Frigid, Freezing Alaska, Commander Says. (Insider)
• The White House Warns Cars Made in China Could Unleash Chaos on US Highways. (Wired)

 

Trading Links:

• Venture Capital: Lessons From the Dot-Com Days.(CFAInstitute)
• OpenAI's $86 Billion Valuation Isn't Even Part of Sam Altman's Fortune. Here's How Much He's Worth. (Fortune)
• AI Startup Making Humanoid Robots Raises $675 Million With Bezos, Nvidia in Funding Round.(WSJ)
• The NFL is Gearing up to Change Its Ownership Rules in What Could Be a Massive Win for Wall Street. (Insider)
• ETF Named After Nancy Pelosi, Tracking Congressional Democrats' Stock Trades, Surpasses S&P 500 With Tech Triumph. (Benzinga)