Posts Categorized: Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business

65 Years Ago, LEGO Patented Its Iconic Brick. This Vintage Ad Is a Reminder of Why the Brand is So Beloved

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description: LEGO bricks haven’t changed. Neither has the company’s thoughtful purpose. Source: INC.com Date: Feb 14, 2023 Link: https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/65-years-ago-lego-patented-its-first-brick-this-vintage-ad-is-a-reminder-of-why-brand-is-so-beloved.html Questions for discussion: What explains the longevity of this product and brand? Who are the customers? What is the significance of the fit between a brick made today and one made in 1958?

5 Investing Red Flags from ChatGPT put under the microscope

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description: The robots aren’t ready to take over yet Source: FinancialPost.com Date: Feb 09, 2023 Link: https://financialpost.com/investing/5-investing-red-flags-chatgpt Questions for discussion: What were the red-flags used to evaluate ChatGPT? How did ChatGPT perform, according to the report? Do you think investment advisors should be more concerned now that greater advances in AI seem likely?

How ChatGPT Kicked Off an A.I. Arms Race

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information.

Description: Even inside the company, the chatbot’s popularity has come as something of a shock. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Feb 03, 2023 Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/03/technology/chatgpt-openai-artificial-intelligence.html Questions for discussion: What are the potential uses of this software that should appeal to consumers and businesses? Using a business example, show how can it be monetized?

How a Drug Company Made $114 Billion by Gaming the U.S. Patent System

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description: AbbVie for years delayed competition for its blockbuster drug Humira, at the expense of patients and taxpayers. The monopoly is about to end. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Jan 28, 2023 Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/28/business/humira-abbvie-monopoly.html Questions for discussion: Summarize the issues related to how businesses, governments, insurance companies and consumers are connected to the drug Humira. Is this… Read more »

Thoma Bravo agrees to $1.8B deal for Canada’s Magnet Forensics

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description: Thoma Bravo agreed to acquire Canada’s Magnet Forensics Inc. for about $1.8 billion (US$1.3 billion), adding another cybersecurity asset to the private equity firm’s portfolio. Magnet Forensics, which makes digital investigation software, will merge with Grayshift LLC, a company that Thoma Bravo acquired last year, according to a statement Friday, confirming a Bloomberg News report…. Read more »

McDonald’s plans reorganization, job cuts as it accelerates restaurant openings

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information.

Description: McDonald’s is planning job cuts and a reorganization as the company refocuses its priorities to accelerate restaurant expansion, CEO Chris Kempczinski told employees Friday. Source: CNBC.com Date: Jan 06, 2023 Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/06/mcdonalds-plans-reorganization-job-cuts.html Questions for discussion: How is McDonald’s reorganizing and what are the reasons given? What do you think about this orientation? What suggestions would… Read more »

Shopify tells employees to eliminate recurring meetings

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information.

Description: Yahoo Finance Live anchors discuss Shopify’s new internal meeting policy. Source: Yahoo.Finance.ca – video report Date: Jan 05, 2023 Link: https://finance.yahoo.com/video/shopify-tells-employees-eliminate-recurring-215943131.html Questions for discussion: What does the report say about the changes and the reasons given? How do you think this will affect the firm? Do you think this publicity will influence other firms… Read more »

SPOS #859 – Joshua Gans On The Economics Of Artificial Intelligence

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information.

Description: Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #859. How does artificial intelligence affect the structure and dynamics of the global economy? What are the potential benefits and risks associated with artificial intelligence on the future of humanity? Joshua Gans is the co-author of the recently published book, Power and Prediction – The Disruptive… Read more »

A New Area of A.I. Booms, Even Amid the Tech Gloom

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description: An investment frenzy over “generative artificial intelligence” has gripped Silicon Valley, as tools that generate text, images and sounds in response to short prompts seize the imagination. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Jan 07, 2023 Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/07/technology/generative-ai-chatgpt-investments.html? Questions for discussion: Why is there so much excitement about this latest development in AI technology? What are some… Read more »

Have the Anticapitalists Reached Harvard Business School?

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives.

Description: Social justice joins discounted cash flows on the syllabus as essential knowledge for aspiring corporate leaders. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Nov 28, 2022 Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/28/business/business-school-social-justice.html?smid=em-share Questions for discussion: What are the main arguments presented in this article? Where do you stand on these questions? What do you believe are the obligations of the corporation to… Read more »