Vector Launch

Vector Launch (a space startup) announces 'pause' even after $100m invested into the startup.

- http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/081019_vector_launch/failure-launch-vector-ousts-tucson-ceo-rocket-firm-locks-out-employees

Advancing AI

Great 60 minutes article last weekend that might interest some of you
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-ai-facial-and-emotional-recognition-how-kai-fu-lee-is-advancing-artificial-intelligence-2019-07-14

 I just ordered Kai-Fu Lee’s book off Amazon - https://amzn.to/2YgryYl

I wonder how many Australian politicians are thinking about this and how we can use this to get Australia ahead globally eg how do you think Australian politicians/teachers would react to putting a camera into classrooms to monitor attention.

VC fad money being thrown at indoor farms

Sorry Felicity, but I see lots of VC fad money being thrown at terribly inefficient startups.....im pro indoor farms but Chatswood.....who cares if your shipping containers are recycled-no wonder you are losing money

- https://www.sbs.com.au/news/indoor-vertical-farming-touted-as-future-source-of-produce

(and yes i've been following the space for a long time eg see my posts on Sundrop Farms).

Iacocca dead

Lee Iacocca, Visionary Automaker Who Led Both Ford and Chrysler, Is Dead at 94

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/02/obituaries/lee-iacocca-dead.html

Still have his autobiography, was one of my favorite books 30 years ago.
A powerhouse example of leading from the top.

- https://amzn.to/2RNd2kY

Nike Fortnite sneakers

hmmm @Nike should have made the business model was that you could only get a pair in Fortnite if you owned them in real life......then that would be cool.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-22/nike-s-latest-sneakers-are-only-available-on-fortnite-game?

Uber Australia didnt make $875m

Yet again another failure in Australian press;

 

https://www.businessinsider.com.au/uber-makes-785-million-in-australia-in-2018-but-pays-just-8-5-million-tax-2019-5?utm_source=Startup+Soda+Subscribers&utm_campaign=e890992212-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_05_02_11_14&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5ee39d43b6-e890992212-174977265

 

Uber Australia DIDN’T make $875 million – Uber USA made $875m, Uber Australia did Zero development, Zero management, Zero capital risk.

Uber Australia is just a local “booking agent” and put in minimal effort. If the ATO wants to tax Uber more than $8.5m then they should encourage startups to form and stay in Australia instead of letting the USA do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to developing and funding new technologies and startups.

The ball is in your court Scott Morrison.

David Rubenstein interviewing Randall Stephenson

Really interesting watching the David Rubenstein show this week - if this doesn't excite you about the future nothing will;
- https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2019-04-24/the-david-rubenstein-show-at-t-ceo-randall-stephenson-video

Especially the last 3 minutes where Randall talks about the future "thin client mobile display" opportunity eg that the mobile device you are used to carrying, now with "faster/always on" persistent 5G connection, no longer needs the compute and storage power on the device but instead is a client related to a server in the cloud (or application occurring somewhere off device).

Reminds me of this deck I presented in 2006 where I talked about what applications would most benefit from this exact concept......progress moves slowly....but it does move relentlessly and once it does history is almost unrecognizable.

I'm thinking its time to get back into this space, if you are building something that encapsulates this concept-get in touch and lets discuss.


Cheers,
Dean

Shutterstock use of AR

Neat use of Shutterstock and AR.

- https://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/shutterstock-customer-app-view-in-room-augmented-reality-ar

RIP Amazon HQ2-NYC

Going to be interesting to see any of those people protesting generate $27B in taxation revenue from their corporations/startups........


https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/14/opinion/amazon-new-york.html?

Seriously expensive "cable tv bills"

Am I the only person who missed the fact that when Netflix paid $100m to stream re-runs of Friends that it actually opnly extended the contract a little over a year?? Seriously WTF?

Time to short $NFLX

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/dont-expect-warnermedia-to-share-friends-or-other-hit-shows-with-netflix-exec-says-2019-02-11