Crimson_Ranger

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On December 4, 2019, Crimson_Ranger commented on AI loves trash! :

Very interesting article. In reading this, I still wonder to what extent the success of this solution still requires changes in citizen behavior around pre-sorting waste.

On December 4, 2019, Crimson_Ranger commented on Hopper: Using AI to Plan Your Next Vacation :

Very interesting article. In reading this, I was wondering how this business intends to compete with Google flight. Specifically, I wonder whether google has access to more data and customer intent information (related searches etc), to be a more natural proactive ticket suggestion engine.

On December 4, 2019, Crimson_Ranger commented on Upstart: Using machine learning to transform the personal loan experience :

Very interesting article. Agreed with previous postings re: potential discrimination risk. Additionally, am also wondering whether Upstart’s loan decisions can bridge recipients to other sources of capital (mortgages etc.). Specifically, I worry about whether a lender’s use of proprietary and non-industry normalized data makes their decisions irrelevant to subsequent lenders.

On November 13, 2019, Crimson_Ranger commented on A Brex of Fresh Air in Corporate Credit Access :

Great article. Incremental to the comments above, I am also thinking about how the low interest rate environment has contributed to Brex’s openness to take on charge card risk. If we were to transition to higher rates, I am intrigued as to how many of Brex’s current customers would still be Profitable for the company to serve.

On November 13, 2019, Crimson_Ranger commented on 23andMe, who does it profit? :

Fantastic article so thank you for sharing. Thinking through this the key question in my mind is what corporate responsibility do we have to people who sign away their data in exchange for information. In my head, the response to the question will determines how much data liability the company is amassing with each competed test.

On November 13, 2019, Crimson_Ranger commented on Big Data Behind Disney Magic :

Great article. The key question that I think about as it regards this how data-derived decision making may affect the ability of Disney to attract new customers whose preferences may not be reflected in its existing dataset. Particularly as it regards certain groups (racially, Socio-economically, etc.)

On October 17, 2019, Crimson_Ranger commented on The democratization of fine art: How much for 0.02% of that Picasso? :

Very interesting post, thank you for sharing with us. In reading this, I can’t help but think about how this kind of platform can help artists retain more of the value being generated by their work. I am imagining now if artists retain minority stakes in the pieces they sell they can benefit from increases in prices and even bequeath these minority stakes to beneficiaries after the artist’s passing.

On October 16, 2019, Crimson_Ranger commented on Airbnb – Stay in a home away from home wherever you travel :

Very interesting post. As I think through this post and the business more broadly, I am struck by a realization that Society is a third party on the platform and how we think about allocating value to it is likely the key driver of the future of this platform. If we were to focus on the society question, it seems to me that Airbnb actually suffers from scale costs. Because, as the platform grows, the number of housing units removed from traditional rental and purchase markets also grows causing (at very large scale) distortions in those markets that force a societal (re: government) response, which can damage the platform. Platforms such as Airbnb are then faced with a difficult question, how to allocate some of the “value” they create to the societies aggrieved by the negative externalities of their presence and growing success.

On October 16, 2019, Crimson_Ranger commented on KRY: Adressing rising healthcare cost with platform technology :

Very interesting post; thank you for writing it. Reading this I am struck by a few questions. First, I wonder if there are different in health outcomes between services rendered in informal settings (through the app at home, on vacation) vs. services rendered in more formal settings. Second, though the cost per visit may be lower, I wonder if reducing the barriers to service increases utilization (people calling in for things they would ordinarily deal with themselves) and thus actually increases total spend on doctors visits?

On September 24, 2019, Crimson_Ranger commented on Ambulnz, Inc. :

Great article. In reading your article, I was struck by the line around how companies like Ambulnz are changing the way EMTs are compensation. Specifically, I was wondering how quality of service is incorporated into the concept of “productivity”. Specifically, I would be keen to see any analysis on what impact tech-enabled ambulance service are having on patient outcomes (or ride experiences) vs. more traditional incumbents.

Great post. It was fascinating to read about the tremendous amount of technological know-how that has gone into their digital marketing tactics. One question that I kept thinking about now is how the fast feedback loop that technology has enabled companies to have between customer sentiment and production allows for fast fashion at a pace and scale that we haven’t seen before. The question now is what the ecological impact of this new “tech-enabled fast”. I would be keen to know what the lifespan of the Company’s clothes are (either in their warehouse or in the customer’s closet)…

On September 24, 2019, Crimson_Ranger commented on Nubank: Digital Banking :

Great article. In reading it, I had two thoughts. First. if the incumbent banks were to launch digital bank interfaces (apps, websites, etc.) how much of the customer traffic to Nubank could they win back? Second, other than default risk are there other factors that make the unbanked population less attractive (bankable economic activity, etc.).

The second question is one that is of particular interest to me because we often see that digital entrants (in industries that offer historically sticky products) often need to rely on winning previously excluded customers to bolster growth from switching clients who may take longer to convince. If the commercial attractiveness of that excluded population is markedly worse (or different than the broader population), it is possible for the company to experience relative under-performance if it ever decided to rely heavily on that population.