š¤ PeopleFirst
Wall Street. Main Street.
It used to be Wall Street and Main Street.
Now it's Wall Street versus Main Street.
When you read all the analysis, what can I add, other than connecting the articles to a story that highlights the challenges society faces through this pandemic. The stories are new, the underlying themes are not. I have been talking about them for a couple of years. What is new is that they are getting broader attention. Amplification.
Now we need to do something about it. Before we fall back into the ānormalā. Or worse - accept a ānewā normal, because that is ājust the way it isā.
This week I celebrate the 50th edition of my newsletter.
It includes a quote from Zeno, lyrics from Tom Robinson and asks what do you want the ānew normal' to be, because
āAs always - what happens now - is up to you.ā
Peter Gabriel
Not Scientific - But Interesting
You could be forgiven for thinking that all of the world's problems that were top of our collective mind as we celebrated the closing of 2019 are now solved.
People: Will
I got my skills very early in life and never looked back. A lot of people in my line of work are ex-military, but I was trained and worked as a civilian all of my life. It's funny when I was at school all the advice I got was about getting a āgoodā job with a āreputable companyā. What they meant was ālargeā.
What's Next
"A masterful demonstration of symmetrical opposites."
Three Stories
These three stories provide context to the People First Newsletter that was published on Tuesday April 21st
Mining Coin Through Your Bodies Activity
š Microsoft Files Patent For New Cryptocurrency and Mining System
Body activity data may be generated based on the sensed body activity of the user. A cryptocurrency system communicatively coupled to the device of the user may verify whether or not the body activity data satisfies one or more conditions set by the cryptocurrency system, and award cryptocurrency to the user whose body activity data is verified.
And
a brain wave or body heat emitted from the user when the user performs the task provided by an information or service provider, such as viewing an advertisement or using certain internet services, can be used in the mining process."
What could possibly go wrong? The answer - as always - it depends.
Investing In The Student Body
Back in 2015 Purdue announced that it was going to invest in its students. I mean really invest.
Through its research foundation, the school plans to create ISA funds that its students can tap to pay for tuition, room and board. In return, students would pay a percentage of their earnings after graduation for a set number of years, replenishing the fund for future investments.
š¬ WaPo
There was a lot of huh hah in the media at the time about people selling themselves into servitude. Education is a right and and and ā¦
and yet 5 years later ā¦
One Man Voluntarily Enters Indentured Servitude
It’s just that this isn’t how he sees it. (The story of the man who sold fractional shares in himself.)
It’s not the same, but it reminded me a little of this idea from 2005 - essentially fractional advertising on a single page to fund Alex Tewās education. (I am going to say it worked. Ever heard of Calm? Alex co-founded the company and he is now co-CEO. Calm is rocking!
Anyway - back to Alex (the other one) - and isn’t it odd that they are both called Alex?
‘$ALEX’ holders are promised a share of ‘any money’ he makes in the next three years! (He’ll pay out up to a total of $100,000 over three yearsāthe rest is (his) to keep). $ALEX holders can vote onĀ someĀ of his life decisions!
That second one smacks a little of šļøš Luke Rheinhartās Diceman
ā¦ but essentially what Alex is doing is convincing people with money to give it to him - and in return, he will give them more back within 3 years. Why is that any different to those same people buying stock in a company?
The world has been dallying with these ideas for a long time. There is push back from some quarters that caution needs to be applied because this could return us to millions of people working in āindentured servitudeā - and certainly by Investopediaās definition that is exactly what Alex has just signed up for.
I think they are wrong. Sure, we need to tread carefully and not blindly sell all our rights (Lessons learned from musicians of the 60s?) - but surely none of it can be worse than the alternative?
Nobody Should Adopt Social Distancing.
Now 'Physical Distancing', That's Different. Definitely Do That.
šļø Travels Without Charlie - Episode 1 - Kevin
It’s a series of stories that are part of People First. The growing set is here, while the story about Kevin is here.
I hope you enjoy listening to them as much as I have enjoyed meeting the people that tell me their stories.
The 2 trillion package is in … the market rebound is steeper than the Covid-19 curve and unemployment claims jumped from ~280k to ~3.28million.
That should be enough to tell you where the US focus is.
Not People
This weekās People First newsletter tells a great positive story that in these turbulent times - you might enjoy. (Bonus - it is not about Covid-19)
Louis Daguerre and Daguerreotypes
I asked a question about this image in this newsletter.
More to come, but to recognize here that it was a stretch ... First Person ... People First!
People First!
People First!
Why would it be any different?
Why People First? Itās a question that I am often asked. Why not? If not people, then what should be first?
The questions being asked by mainstream media are primarily about how markets and business will recover - few ask how people will recover.
š¬ John Philpin
This past week, I have been reminded ā¦ over and over again ā¦ that āPeople Firstā might seem logical - but it is not how this world is, or gets reported.
We Live In A Viral World.
There's A Perfect Storm On The Horizon