Friends of Dave #82: Feels Like Summer
Heat, humidity, baseball All Star game: yep, it's that time of year.
Got a bunch of stuff in the hopper this week, so this intro is a short one. Really appreciate the emails and feedback I got after last week's edition. Even though vacations and weekend outings are keeping everyone busy, good to see the summer vacation version of the newsletter can still be a source of welcome entertainment and insights.
Always looking for more subscribers, so please, by all means, forward this to friends and colleagues if you like it and get them to sign up. Right now, my preference (for a number of reasons) is that people opt-in themselves versus me signing them up. And if you have some down time over the coming months and you want to record a Friends of Dave podcast, definitely shoot me an email with some dates and times that work. It's fun, it's easy, and it can be good for your personal branding. Trust me -- your story is interesting and people will like hearing it!
Hope you have a phenomenal mid-summer weekend. Some great stuff in this weekend's edition so check it out. And now that the World Cup is complete and the British Open Championship in golf will be determined tomorrow, I thought I should mention that football training camps start next week.....
XOXO
Dave
Three to Get You Thinking...
The Shortness of Time — fs.blog
Time is invisible so it's easy to spend without proper consideration to its value. Here's an important warning on how we squander our time only to regret it.
If You Say Something Is “Likely,” How Likely Do People Think It Is? — hbr.org
Included this to show why you should use percentages, not words, to express probabilities. The author, Michael Mauboussin (who has ties to Friends of Dave at FinTech firm Alpha Theory), shares three excellent lessons on how to accurately forecast in just about anything you do.
The Man Who Created the World Wide Web, Has Some Regrets — www.vanityfair.com Berners-Lee has seen his creation debased by everything from fake news to mass surveillance. But he’s got a plan to fix it.
Three For Your Day Job...
Africa startup funding: startups have already raised more money in 2018 than in 2017 — qz.com
Halfway through the year, with 118 deals completed, startup funding on the continent of Africa has reached $168.6 million—surpassing last year's total of $167.7 million. I've been mentioning Africa here as a source of innovation and growth for quite some time, Friends -- click and get educated.
Artificial Intelligence: The Future Is Human — blogs.cfainstitute.org
Interesting take here on AI by the CFA Institute, presenting an argument that the jobs of stock analysts and investment advisors require interpersonal skills that cannot be replicated by machines. Not sure I am completely buying it (I mean, what is the CFA Institute supposed to say?), but worth reading nonetheless. Also, good supporting links embedded here.
To Boldly Go Where No Startup Has Gone Before: The American Dream of Home Ownership
For better and for worse, the American dream of home ownership is changing. Unaffordability and high consumer debt are forcing Americans to consider sharing their homes with others – whether physically or virtually with co-investors. Fortunately startups are creating a range of novel financial products to help, including shared dwelling, lease-to-own and co-investment. Over time, the home may even be seen as a semi-liquid asset that can be managed and diversified like other financial assets.
Absolutely no question that the signs are all there for disruption in residential real estate, I think equally as profound as what we have been seeing in lending (check out Knock, run by former Trulia exec Sean Black). Some insightful stuff here in this article by David Jegen, one of the key drivers (along with Friend of Dave Sarah Biller) behind FinTech Sandbox in Boston.
Of Course, Your Weekly Random Reading...
Velvet Milkman is Murray State's new interim Athletic Director — www.si.com
In related news, my 14 year old son's rock band now has a new name.
The Stubborn American Who Brought Ice to the World — www.theatlantic.com
...And presumably was the first to try to sell it to Eskimos.
What people hate most about waiting in line. — www.slate.com
You know what can be one of the best feelings in the world? Being NEXT in line and having your number called. Think about it....
And The Last Word....
NOT to be confused with the 2017 Weezer song (one Weezer spotlight this summer is enough, don't you think?) by the same name but with a much different vibe, this single was dropped this week by Childish Gambino. Many thanks to VC Fred Wilson for sharing his personal playlist that included this chill, soulful summer time selection. Grab some shade, get a cool drink and listen.