“The first rule demands that CEOs and entrepreneurs look beyond the immediate problems of today. When we teach strategy to senior executives, we frequently ask, “What will you do differently tomorrow?”
~David B. Yoffie and Michael A. Cusumano
Unexpected Articles from this Week
The FDA is proposing a new strategy for vaccinating people against COVID-19 in order to make the process simpler and less confusing. The new plan involves most people receiving one shot each fall, with the vaccine being rejiggered to target the virus variant most likely to be spreading that winter. The FDA’s advisers unanimously endorsed the proposal today, but there are still questions to be answered such as how often people need more shots and who needs them. The FDA will meet again in the spring to help determine which strain of the virus to target for the vaccine. Read more here.
Despite global uncertainty and the impacts of the pandemic, Latin American economies held up well in 2022, with inflationary pressures receding and the service sector rebounding. 2023 is likely to be a challenging year with growth slowing to just 2%, however, central banks must stay focused on bringing down inflation and governments must prioritize social spending, support entrepreneurship, and implement structural reforms to restore economic stability and spur economic growth. Read more here.
Researchers at the Institute of Clinical Medicine in Norway are researching the potential of using NK cells and their “killer torpedoes” to develop a new form of cancer treatment. The study is still in its early stages and much more research is needed before it can be used clinically. However, studies on vesicles from stem cells have already shown that they can reduce corneal inflammation and the researchers believe that they can also be used to target other unwanted cells. Read more here.
An independent researcher has suggested that the earliest writing in human history may have been hiding in plain sight in prehistoric cave paintings in Europe, which could push the timeline of written language back by tens of thousands of years. This discovery, which is yet to be confirmed by the wider archaeological community, could rewrite the history of writing and offer a glimpse into how our Paleolithic ancestors synchronized their lives with the natural cycles of animals and the Moon. Read more here.
What I am reading
•An Intuitive Total Risk-Adjusted Performance Measure and Characteristics Matrix (Article)
•Mysterious New Substance Possibly Discovered Inside Earth’s Core (Article)
•Unreasonable Success and How to Achieve It (Book)
•Agglomerate (Book)
•Richer, Wiser, Happier (Book)
If you are looking for an investment in your startup, please tell me about your project.
As always – I would enjoy hearing from you (what you found interesting, the format of this email, notes from your own explorations, etc.), feel free to just respond to this email.
Until next week,
Ian Eliason