3 Books and EV Radio on Television
Your weekly newsletter from the mind of Miles Lasater
Happy Saturday! Here is your weekly dose of the world of Miles’ curiosity, learning, techno-optimism, business thoughts, and ways to be a better human.
3 Books. Not sure what to pick from my long reading lists and can’t pick between my recommendations every week? Here are my top three books right now: The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, How to Live and the Beginning of infinity. If you want to substitute a literature book or something that has stood the test of time, then read Paradise Lost. If you want something more actionable for your startup, read The Great CEO Within.
EV Radio on Television. When a new technology spreads, we often use existing business models and mental models. For example, with electric cars, we charge them in the way we used to put gas in a car. But the physics are different. It is slow and inefficient to “pour” the electrons into the battery. Instead, we should swap the battery. If you are renting a charged battery each time, then the upfront cost of the car goes down a lot. Plus, you often only need a smaller battery which saves weight, energy and material. Many more implications than I can explain here. Listen to Ample’s CEO/Founder explain it on the My Climate Journey podcast. The change in value proposition seems like a Blue Ocean strategy against gas cars.
Predictions for Better Decisions. The folks at Clearer Thinking are giving out some grants. At the same time, they are running a prediction market to choose the winning applications. While the internal team works to make good decisions, the public can read the applications and make “money” by predicting the winners. By inviting the public into the process, they get valuable input without giving up authority. Have you seen other unusual ways of making better decisions? (Fun to see Y Startup Index portfolio company Manifold Markets as the platform for the prediction market.)
Until next week,
Miles