Post COVID, We Must be Builders

Two of the very best manifestos to come out of COVID came out early in the pandemic.  I know it's been a year, but both It's Time to Build by Marc Andreessen and A Builder Manifesto by Jason Crawford are must reads to understand where we are, where we're going, and how we're going to get there going forward post-COVID.

Old golf courses and office buildings are turning into retail warehouses as demand for industrial space keeps climbing:

How about an old golf course? Amazon recently found a shuttered 18 holes in the town of Clay, New York, to build a $350 million distribution center. It's also plotting a fulfillment center on top of a portion of a former golf course in Alcoa, Tennessee.

The e-commerce giant also has taken old and defunct malls, of which there are plenty in the U.S., and turned them into warehouse spaces. Like the old golf courses, old malls are often situated in communities full of paying customers, which makes the land suitable for distribution facilities looking to be near people's homes. But developers still face hurdles like rezoning.

Vacant office buildings are becoming an attractive target to flip into warehouse space, Lissner said. She said many have convenient locations and sprawling campuses, just off a highway. More office space could end up on the market, especially if businesses extend remote work policies after the pandemic and need less space for employees' cubicles.

Only 52 US companies have been on the Fortune 500 since 1955, thanks to the ‘creative destruction’ that fuels economic prosperity.

Not to too my own horn too hard, but Texas earned the top spot for small business jobs growth, again.

What were the largest industries in the US in 1890?

1. Transportation
2. Agriculture and Related Industries
3. Food, Beverages, and Tobacco Products
4. Metal, Metal Products, and Machinery
5. Textiles, Textile Products, and Clothing
6. Mining and Quarrying
7. Banking
8. Wood, Lumber, and Their Products
9. Leather and Allied Products
10. Slaughtering and Meat Packing

This from the new and excellent An Illustrated Business History of the United States, by Richard Vague.

The endless work of trying to win yourself a new life: Inside the world of sweepers—committed competitors trying to game the system or maybe just win a lifetime supply of Gatorade.

Twelve year old me would have begged to do this: A mannequin company in the UK will give you fifteen minutes to fill your car with as many mannequin parts as you can grab for £50.00.

Computers will be able to read images from your brain within a decade: The potential applications are both amazing and alarming.