Capitalogix

BlackRock's Meteoric Rise ...

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I don’t usually write about individual companies, but an infographic highlighting BlackRock’s impressive growth caught my eye.

BlackRock has been around since 1988. It wasn’t until the early 2000s that it really took off, but since then, they’ve clearly been doing something right. 

Now, they are the world’s largest asset manager.

 

Voronoi via visualcapitalist

In 2006, BlackRock acquired Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, nearly doubling its AUM, but its CAGR shows that it’s not just luck that has helped BlackRock achieve its current position. 

In 2023, when I reviewed their equity holdings, they held approximately $9 trillion in assets. Now that has grown to more than $12 trillion. 

While they aren’t as transparent as Berkshire Hathaway about what they do or how they do it, according to its website, BlackRock positions itself as a systematic investor that leverages vast datasets and new technologies.

Comparing again to Berkshire Hathaway, both have invested heavily in Apple, which isn’t particularly surprising. 

While I enjoy insights into other investors' playbooks, it’s not the be-all and end-all. It’s simply one way to invest ... and might be a reasonable way to get from a lot of money to even more money - but their trading strategy isn’t necessarily going to work for the average investor (or you). 

Still, when there is blood in the streets … asking, “What would Warren or Blackrock do?” might be a great place to start.

However, it is challenging to maintain an edge if you use the same process and data as your competitors (especially when they have enough assets to use time or trade size to their advantage).

As the flywheels of commerce spin faster, edges will emerge and decay faster than ever before. Finding a solution is only a step in an ongoing process.  

Robust, reliable, and repeatable innovation at scale is a meaningful competitive advantage. That implies that idea factories will become as important (if not more so) than factories that produce material products. Likewise, innovation funnels will become more important than sales funnels. 

The world changes at the speed of thought ... and as technology continues to improve ... even faster.

Thankfully, we live in interesting times.

Here Are Some Links For Your Weekly Reading - August 3rd, 2025

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

Lighter Links:

• Gaming Your Way to Winning Decisions – Lessons From Cognitive Scientist and World Poker Champion Annie Duke. (PsychologyToday)
• After 500 Interviews, I Can Trace All My Best and Worst Hires Back to this Single Interview Question. (Insider)
• Trick Your Brain Into Staying Motivated With One Simple Psychology Hack Called 'Dopamine Anchoring'. (FoxNews)
• Study Reveals Distinct Music Habits Among Young Adults With ADHD Symptoms. (PsyPost)
• Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh Explains the "Shadow Docket" and Why the Court Doesn't Always Owe the Public an Explanation. (Vox)

 

Trading Links:

• Stock Market Wiped Out Over $1 Trillion in a Day. (FinBold)
• Stock Market Posts Worst Week in Months on Renewed Economic Fears. (NYT)
• Forecasts Predict a Dismal Decade for Stocks. Here's What to Do. (USAToday)
• Coinbase to Offer Tokenized Stocks and Prediction Markets to U.S. Users in 'Everything Exchange'. (TheBlock)
• ‘The Big Short’ Investor Warns Despite Economy’s Stronghold Against ‘Thoughtless’, ‘Unprecedented’ Tariffs So Far, Stagflation is Coming. (Fortune)

 

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

Lighter Links:

• Gaming Your Way to Winning Decisions – Lessons From Cognitive Scientist and World Poker Champion Annie Duke. (PsychologyToday)
• After 500 Interviews, I Can Trace All My Best and Worst Hires Back to this Single Interview Question. (Insider)
• Trick Your Brain Into Staying Motivated With One Simple Psychology Hack Called 'Dopamine Anchoring'. (FoxNews)
• Study Reveals Distinct Music Habits Among Young Adults With ADHD Symptoms. (PsyPost)
• Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh Explains the "Shadow Docket" and Why the Court Doesn't Always Owe the Public an Explanation. (Vox)

 

Trading Links:

• Stock Market Wiped Out Over $1 Trillion in a Day. (FinBold)
• Stock Market Posts Worst Week in Months on Renewed Economic Fears. (NYT)
• Forecasts Predict a Dismal Decade for Stocks. Here's What to Do. (USAToday)
• Coinbase to Offer Tokenized Stocks and Prediction Markets to U.S. Users in 'Everything Exchange'. (TheBlock)
• ‘The Big Short’ Investor Warns Despite Economy’s Stronghold Against ‘Thoughtless’, ‘Unprecedented’ Tariffs So Far, Stagflation is Coming. (Fortune)

Which Industries Are Struggling To Find Good Workers?

A few weeks ago, we discussed the changes in the job market since 1988, but the focus was primarily on the most common jobs. 

Now, let’s take a look at which industries are struggling to find qualified candidates or to keep them. 

As AI becomes more prevalent, it’s essential to consider several key factors when thinking about jobs and the future of work. 

One thing to consider is whether an industry is ripe for disruption ... or just replacement.  Another consideration is whether a role can be easily automated. 

To start, try to understand which industries are currently seeking job candidates and have long-term stability. Here is a chart from VisualCapitalist showing global employers expecting challenges hiring talent. 

Voronoi via visualcapitalist

Labor shortages are increasing globally, and yet many young adults are struggling to find careers.

That’s an interesting contradiction: lots of jobs need people, but lots of young folks can’t find work.

 

This is crucial because it shows there’s a mismatch — the jobs exist, but the skills, readiness, or interests aren’t aligned with what employers want. It’s not just about having jobs; it’s about having the right people for those jobs. Zooming out, this mismatch reveals a bigger gap in education, training, culture, and how we prepare people for work. Fixing this isn’t just about filling seats; it’s about building a workforce that can grow with the changing economy and replace the aging boomers as they begin to retire en masse.

This chart helps us understand where skilled workers are needed and which industries may be struggling. 

Real estate tops the list with 60% anticipating hiring difficulties in the near term. With high interest rates and market volatility, it does make sense. People tend to look for easy wins, and volatility scares both investors and employees alike.

While we know that retail & fast food workers are still among the most common jobs, hospitality has been struggling. This could be caused by labor conditions and complaints about compensation. 

Meanwhile, tech, healthcare, and telecom are the least affected by job insecurity. While these are saturated markets, they’re also growing markets with well-defined career paths and consistent demand. 

People thrive when given autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Understanding motivation beyond money helps struggling industries rethink job design to attract and keep talent. And in the bigger picture, meaningful work fuels engagement and innovation, creating a cycle of growth and satisfaction.

 

The struggle to find good workers is a canary in the coal mine—a warning that the world of work is shifting beneath our feet. It matters because work shapes economies and lives. Leaders who grasp not just the “what” but the layered “whys” have a chance to build a future workforce that’s resilient, motivated, and human-centered.

 

In times like these, some people see the challenges ... while others see the opportunity.

 

Onwards!