We should remind ourselves to ask whose best interest promoters have at heart — ours or theirs? — We may have finally reached peak advertising. Marketing first. Product or service second. Client/user experience last. Does this seem like a good rule of thumb for a successful business strategy? I don’t know for sure one way or the other, but I can say that it increasingly seems to be…

If we’re serious about fixing our problems we need to look at costs, not just who pays them — It’s well-publicized that we have a higher education problem in the United States. Whether it should be as necessary as it right now is a matter up for debate, but as long as it is, we have to address accessibility and affordability. …

Asset management firms’ accumulation of ownership shares has significant implications on the distribution of economic power — Last week I testified before the Senate Committee on the Budget on the invitation of Senator Bernie Sanders. The hearing was also about private equity, but I focused on concentration among large asset management firms—in particular, the economic power accrued by BlackRock, Vanguard, and (to a lesser extent) State Street…

The larger income inequality becomes, the more contentious our discourse — It’s interesting how thoughts can come to you. Watching the Superbowl, specifically the ads contained in the broadcast, I was struck by two things. The first was the abundance of crypto advertisements, reminiscent of the late 90s or early 2000s. Does anybody else remember pets.com? It stood out to me. …

One of the biggest names in gaming is opening new doors for the music industry — Imagine a future where you could connect with top artists from the comfort of your own home. No more crowded venues or long lines. Just pure fun. Covid-19 forced musicians to think creatively and reach out to fans in new ways. …

Ever wonder why wages have been stagnant for 40 years? — Some years ago, I learned a new word, “monopsony”. I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since then. I had long known the word “monopoly” and I understood the meaning of that word as a young man. But this business of monopsony, it’s a recurring theme…

Freemium models are becoming the norm for many services — I expect free tiers for every new service. I didn’t know I had this expectation until I was outraged when met with “pay to play” services. Outrageous isn’t it? How dare they charge me for something without even giving me a taste! …