Economy – Mental Models 4 Life

If AI really turns out to be a normal technology, what happens to industry structures?

July 18, 2026

If AI really turns out to be normal technology, an increasingly persuasive case Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor have continued to advance, what happens to the competitive dynamics and industry structures for the organisations operating in that space? Using a synthesis of Porter’s Five Forces Framework, Helmer’s Seven Powers and Oberholzer’s Value Stick that I … More If AI really turns out to be a normal technology, what happens to industry structures?

Book Recommendations on China’s Economic System

December 21, 2025

I read a couple of really good books on China’s economic system this year that I can recommend for those who want to know the country better (from a distance). The New China Playbook: Beyond Socialism and Capitalism by Keyu Jin taught me about mayor economies, and how China’s centrally planned economy is actually executed … More Book Recommendations on China’s Economic System

Competitive Strategies: Structures and Power

June 16, 2025

Modern competitive analysis started in the 1930’s with the introduction of the Structural-Conduct-Performance (SCP) paradigm (shown in Figure 1 below) that was used to analyse the causal dynamics of Industrial Organisation, the field of study concerned to a large extent with how public policy can limit monopoly power. The SCP paradigm has since evolved into … More Competitive Strategies: Structures and Power

A Short Look at Geoeconomics

September 8, 2024

This blog post Sizing up the New Axis by Noah Smith that compares the combined economic strength of China and Russia against that of US and its key allies provides interesting insights into the robustness of the industrial base and manufacturing supply chains of the two blocs. On energy supply, which includes fossil fuels and … More A Short Look at Geoeconomics

What Are Data Products?

April 9, 2023

I realised recently that I don’t have a good working definition of what Data Products are or should be. Sure, a quick googling will surface many generic definitions of Data Products from respected sources like Forbes and McKinsey. They are all usually variations of DJ Patil’s definition: “A data product is a product that facilitates … More What Are Data Products?

Thoughts on Index Investing

August 25, 2019

When proponents of index investing talk about the benefits of index investing, several things tend to come to the fore: share markets tend to rise over the long term, and dollar-cost averaging is a low-risk strategy to get the market returns; most active fund managers underperform index investing over the medium to long term, after … More Thoughts on Index Investing

The Real North Korean Threat?

October 7, 2017

Judging by the muted response, the market is effectively assigning a near-zero probability on the threat of a war on the Korean peninsular. I think that is likely misguided. There is certainly very low probability of an US-initiated preemptive strike — the strength of the soft institutions in the US will guarantee that, regardless of … More The Real North Korean Threat?

How it Feels to Live in a Current Account Surplus / Deficit Economy

July 22, 2017

The June 30 Quarterly Report from Platinum Asset Management’s European Fund contains some great insights and here’s an excerpt that I find particularly interesting. “Consider for a moment our own experience, as Australians, participating in this economy over the last thirty-odd years: We have enjoyed a period of unprecedented economic stability. We have not experienced … More How it Feels to Live in a Current Account Surplus / Deficit Economy