A call to arms for software developers to help address some of society’s ills through more accessible computer programming — To my fellow software engineers: Like many of you, I watched in horror the events that took place on January 6th, 2021 at the US Capitol building. On the one hand, it was a truly sad day for both America and the world. To see a symbol of hope and…

How two of society’s most prestigious institutions should address their uncertain futures — “Never let a serious crisis go to waste.” — Rahm Emanuel (ex-Chief of Staff to President Obama) As the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought havoc to business models everywhere, even two of the world’s most prestigious institutions — universities and hospitals — are having to rethink how they do business. Three…

Or how to use data to look for potential — I recently came across a blurb about BarkBox’s product strategy for Amazon and found it quite interesting. They were considering launching a new set of products on Amazon, so they set up an internal team to analyze the “pet” category on Amazon. The analysis looked for products that were high…

What if the popular millennial trading app added index funds? — One product idea that I have been thinking a lot about is the idea of updating index funds. Index funds have had a massive impact on how people invest their money today¹. But they’ve largely gone unchanged since they were created in the 1970s. So I’ve been trying to think…

with Monte Carlo Simulations and Poker — One of the things I’m interested in exploring is how to use computers to augment my thinking. …

Hosting a new World’s Fair in America may be just what the doctor ordered — Why a World’s Fair? The last World’s Fair hosted on US soil was the 1984 New Orleans World’s Fair. A reasonable question may be asked then why after almost 35 years would we want to host another one? Isn’t the World’s Fair a relic of the past? Isn’t a World’s Fair a financial disaster…

Technology is giving us the ability to create a custom web experience for everyone — What if websites and apps gave you a completely personalized experience, unique to just you? I don’t mean only recommending what movie to watch next but providing completely customized layout, styles, and interactions based on your unique preferences. …

America needs to come together and get excited about the future again. I think a World’s Fair might be a great opportunity to do just that. — What happened to the moonshot mentality? When did America become the country that looked at the past with fondness but the future with trepidation? America is the land of opportunity and optimism. It is the country that others believed had roads paved of gold. …

A place to seek out and provide opposing views — It’s no secret that today’s social media networks leave a lot to be desired. Everyone feels cheated. The promise of social networks was that they were these great places that had no barriers or borders and allowed us to connect, share and learn with anyone in the world. …