Contrary to the cacophony of calls to break up Facebook, Google and Amazon, there’s nothing about being big, dominant, powerful or even a monopoly that goes afoul of U.S. antitrust law. That’s all perfectly legal, as it should be. We want to incentivize companies to grow big and gain market[…] Read On
Monthly Archives: May 2018
Sick of Partisan Politics? Good Luck With That
Cruising down the center of a two way street Wondering who is really in the driver’s seat Minding my business along comes big brother Says, son, you better get on one side or the other – Eagles, On the Border, c. 1974 In 1974 I saw the Eagles with Dan[…] Read On
Does Corporate America Have a Nepotism Problem?
About a third of S&P 500 companies are family-owned. Wonder what CBS’s Les Moonves thinks about that? The CEO has been fighting the Redstone family’s National Amusements Inc., which controls CBS and Viacom, for ages. The latest boardroom drama would rival any show CBS is pitching for next fall. Shari[…] Read On
Building the Perfect Meritocracy
The real reason the great experiment called America turned out as well as it did can be summed up in a single word: competition. Competition for customers, competition for talent, competition for jobs, competition for political office. When we compete on our merits, it brings out the best in us. The[…] Read On
The Court of Public Opinion and Return to Mob Rule
The court of public opinion is no place to meter out justice. That’s why we have a criminal justice system with the blindfolded lady and the scales. Without it you’re left with groupthink and confirmation bias which ultimately deteriorates to mob rule. Who would have thought that an enlightened society[…] Read On
How Do You Rate a CEO?
I bet if you ask 10 people how to rate a CEO, you’ll probably get 10 different answers. There really is just one way, though. You rate them the same way you rate athletes, entertainers, doctors, attorneys or anyone else, for that matter. Including yourself. One word: Performance. In the[…] Read On
The Retail Brand Dilemma
Sooner or later every retailer faces a dilemma: How to adapt to changing consumer behavior without alienating brand loyalists? Lately, that dilemma has become a Catch-22. Bet you didn’t know that Black Friday deals at Best Buy, Macy’s, Target and Walmart are mostly the same from year to year. Turns out[…] Read On