Every week, we put together a list of our top 5 articles of the past week. Happy reading!
Not enough people are paying attention to this economic trend Bill Gates
Bill Gates explains on his blog how economics fail to take into account the dynamics of software. Software is an intangible asset with significant upfront cost but with zero marginal cost. He argues, as large portions of the economy no longer reflect the old model; economists need to update their thinking, as do policymakers.
Meet the man with a radical plan for blockchain voting Wired
Santiago Siri is a young Brazilian with a bold dream, eradicate states and create a decentralized democratic utopia. This may sound a bit outrageous but his organization, Democracy Earth, has received funding and gaining followers. The model is complex and far from perfect. It captures an interesting application of technology in politics.
How the internet changed dating The Economist
The internet has overtaken churches, neighbourhoods, classrooms and offices as a setting where one might meet a partner of the opposite sex. The Economist dives into how connectivity and in particular smartphones have changed the nature of dating. This has given rise to a global industry worth $4.6 billion annually. The article also delves into the niches, happiness and business models.
Consumption as Identity (Not as Crazy as It Sounds) Collaborative Fund
This is an interesting short post by Lauren Loktev at the Collaborative Fund. She argues that consumption is increasingly tied to our identities. Despite the fact that this sounds utterly depressing, there is a certain truth to this. Given how much of our lives we share on social media, what we buy is inexorably tied to who we are.
The 30% Tax Fred Wilson, AVC
Apple and Google hold a duopoly on mobile operating systems. As a result have the market power to charge 30% on all transactions that flow through their ecosystem. What we’re starting to see is that large brands like Netflix, Fortnite and others are starting to experiment with ways to bypass the gatekeepers. Fred Wilson argues that some like Netflix might even consider launching their own app stores in order to compete.
