“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
For decades I have believed that you can predict a lot about your future, based on the quality of the people you spend the present with.
That is why I think participation in quality peer groups is critical.
Peer groups help us set higher standards for our behavior …
They help us aim higher in our aspirations …
And they help us stay better focused and committed to big-picture goals.
I belong to several executive and business leader peer groups—groups that double as advisory boards, counselor’s offices, and idea factories. They allow me to see, hear, and discuss things I don't normally think about, talk about, or even notice. Peer groups bring blind spots to my attention and keep me fully connected to trends that are transforming industry on a global scale.
One of the best groups I've joined is the Genius Network.
It brings together the brilliant minds of industry transformers in a forum focused on innovation, creative disruption, and possibilities. It’s a place for entrepreneurs to grow, connect, and collaborate to create bigger and better futures.
FinTech is hot … and FinTech startups are disrupting the value chain, and the industry itself, by grabbing market share, increasing customer churn, and putting pressure on margins.
I recently was at the Future of Finance conference, where I talked with the CEO of CB Insights about the changing landscape of trading and asset management.
At the conference, one of the sessions was about how banks are "suffering death by a thousand cuts" and being relegated to utilities as they fail to adapt to new tech trends. Here is a graphic showing the competitive pressures FinTechs are putting on banks.
Statistics can be misleading. For example, if markets are near the highs, they must be strong; right?
Gavekal Research recently put out a note that caught my eye.
Since 5/21/2015 (the date that the MSCI World Index made a high), 2 out of 3 mid-large cap stocks have declined.
The histogram below shows the number of companies in Gavekal's version of the MSCI All-Country World Index that have had positive performance (green) or negative performance (red) since 5/21/2015.
A friend of mine just bet me that Trump would win the election. So far, Trump has offended a lot of "interest groups" with campaign remarks. But, then there is Hillary. It is going to be close.
Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.
