Every week, we put together a list of our top 5 articles of the past week. Happy reading!
After the CoronaVirus Peak, What’s Next? Morgan Stanley (reading time: 5 minutes)
“We do not see activity returning to its pre-virus level until the end of 2021”. It’s a frightening prediction by Morgan Stanley. Matthew Harrison, an equity analyst in biotech provides some great insights into what a return to stability can look like. The ultimate way to end the pandemic will be a vaccine and governments need to prepare accordingly.
The future is not what it used to be: Thoughts on the shape of the next normal McKinsey (reading time: 15 minutes)
Predictions are hard, especially about the future. What we can say for sure is that the world will undergo some important changes. Along the same lines of the previous article, McKinsey offers a few predictions on what we can expect after the crisis. Increased government intervention and sector attractiveness stood out for me.
When Tailwinds Vanish: The Internet in the 2020s Luttig’s Learnings (reading time: 15 minutes)
I don’t agree with everything in this article but still quite noteworthy. John Luttig writes that the growth that the technology industry has enjoyed has just ran out. We are all online and that there will be fewer successful new internet companies. He argues that we will shift from investment in R&D to SG&A which will have a profound impact on the financial vehicles used by tech. This means a new playbook for founders and for education more broadly.
It’s Time to Build Marc Andreesen, a16z (reading time: 12 minutes)
If you didn’t read Marc Andreesen’s essay from last week, you have to check it out. It’s a call to arms for the technology industry and will be probably recognized for years to come. He argues that we chose not to build the systems, the products that would save us during this crisis. The problem is desire, we need to want these things. He explores some great areas where we can build and build a more resilient economy.
Prepare for the Ultimate Gaslighting Julio Vincent Gambuto (reading time: 9 minutes)
A word of warning, this article is a bit far from the usual business and strategy topics we cover on this newsletter. It’s a cry from the heart of a NYC based movie director. We are undergoing a great “pause” from the global advertising complex and our daily routines. We will soon be bombarded with messages of going back to “normal” and that life should carry on. At the same time though, we can’t just forget about the inadequate hospital system, the clean skies and human tragedy.
This is our chance to do that, the biggest one we have ever gotten. And the best one we’ll ever get.
