Corporate Inequality; Tectonic Tech; Bad Statistics; Apple Extortion?; Econ Recon: Different Players; Same Economy

Chuck Berry
Rock and Roll Innovator and Entrepreneur

Born: October 18, 1926
Died: March 18, 2017

Income Inequality or Corporate Inequality?

Income inequality has become one of the defining social and economic issues of our time. While getting lots of press, the extent to which we truly understand the drivers behind this issue is debatable: lack of education; loss of the nuclear family; exporting of jobs; all have been suggested as causes. One researcher has a new take on the issue.  Inequality is not about what you do, it’s who you do it for. This HBR audio interview, “The Rise of Corporate Inequality” with the author of the study is provocative and worth your time (text of the interview will be available in the near future).

Tectonic Tech

Technological advancement is greatly overestimated in the short run and greatly underestimated in the long run,” remarked science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. The Director of Industry Strategy for Adobe shares “6 Tectonic Shifts in Tech Every Executive Should Know” based on research at the World Economic Forum. You have probably heard of each of these, but do you really know what they are…and have you really thought through which technology has the greatest potential to disrupt your business? This summary provides further links to the World Economic Forum site for more details on each. Check it out!

Bad Statistics

We all make decisions based on the data others give us…and we usually trust it unthinkingly, especially when it comes from third parties (government, academia, etc.). We have access to more data than ever before and the media presents us with an overwhelming array of statistics based on it. The recent surprising election results underscore the  evolving issues with collecting and correctly interpreting data. A recent short TED Talk that is both insightful and humorous offers Three Ways to Spot a Bad Statistic.

Apple Extortion?

You may have heard that an organization known as the “Turkish Crime Family” is threatening to wipe out all Apple Accounts unless they are paid  $100,000. Vistage Speaker and IT Security Expert Mike Foster and IT Security Expert offers some preventive medicine in a recent blog post “Your IPhone and Ipad are In Danger.”

Different Players; Same Economy

New President, Same Economy: The economy and those who drive it don’t like uncertainty…and right now there are a lot of  “If’s”. Should you worry? Check out this ITR blog entry on the New Administration and The Economy. 

The Debt Clock:   If you haven’t seen the US Debt Clock that I shared a number of years ago, here’s an updated version and there’s now an app plus some additional features. These numbers represent many of the defining issues of our time; here’s a way to have them close at hand and to remind you to start preparing for their impact.