THE THOR REPORT
An Entrepreneurs Mind Space
"Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the face"
- Mike Tyson
Every plan is great, until it's not. It must always be prepared
to be hit in the face by the inevitability of change! ft
When it came to vaccine development, manufacturing and distribution, however, US took an early lead and has to date excelled spectacularly ahead of Canada and Western Europe. It is for the very same reason. The US embraces decentralized government management, delegated to fifty states, which turned out during the initial outbreak had fifty different opinions on how to manage or not manage the spread of the virus. When it comes to the vaccines themselves however, the less regulated and less centrally controlled free market conditions in the US enabled rapid innovation, faster development and approval of the high tech messenger RNA vaccine as well as the regular RNA, and consequent distribution through a variety of federal, state and local systems, in addition to commercial channels, by the pharmaceutical industry, retail pharmacy chains, elderly care homes, hospitals and more.
Canada and Western Europe are failing in vaccine distribution because of the centrally controlled systems, requiring coordination, approvals and complex regulatory management processes, whereas the US is succeeding due to the absence of the very same systems. In other words, the US failed miserably at containing the virus for the same reason it is succeeding spectacularly at vaccination. This does not equate to a judgment over which of the systems is better, but simply highlights that one system proved better for one function, and the other is proving better for another. The flip flop reality of virus response and vaccination helps highlight our understanding of the two.
The contrast between the US and Canada/Western Europe on containing the virus has been starkly in favor of the latter, while the success of vaccination distribution turns that story spectacularly on its head. Thinking about it from social and economic structural differences between the two lays bare the reasons why.
Canada and Western Europe have long embraced government lead systems most dramatically present in their - by and large - universal healthcare systems. It turns out, when a mandated, preventative care response was recommended, the more centrally governed systems of Western Europe and Canada proved generally more effective, both in terms of limiting spread, managing response resources, and mandating universal change in behavior.
US FAILURE TO CONTAIN VIRUS ALSO EXPLAINS ITS VACCINATION SUCCESS
"The good news about starting a company during times like these is that the companies that do succeed are going to be extremely strong and resilient"
- Marc Andreessen
For virtually all industries, the pandemic is a multi-lateral stress test! ft
Exceptionalism
In times of extreme division, the building blocks of this unfinished nation experiment seem momentarily forgotten. They are the pillars that define us and provide us with the essential sustenance; freedom, rule of law and constitution, firmly cemented in the hallow ground of truths that we hold self-evident; that all humans are created equal. It is this essence that has excelled this nation beyond any other; in science, technology, innovation, arts, entertainment and sports. It is a strength born exactly out of the diversity, of the many becoming one. What makes us stronger is the very element that weakens and divides many other nations. When we understand this to be the fountain of our exceptional strength, and embrace it, united, we will realize a future of unparalleled success.
"The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity!"
- Keith Ferrazzi
In other words, how do you provide value to others! ft
Flat or Not
Elon Musk once asked; "How come there is no Flat Mars Society?" to which the chairman of the Flat Earth Society responded; "Because we have observed Mars to be a globe, a round planet," which prompts me to respond; "Well, that means you agree there are planets and therefore consequently a solar system... within which a flat Earth model simply does not work, logically, because flat Earth requires all other heavenly bodies to be fake, including the sun, on an artificial trajectory around a flat Earth, to give the impression we are not living inside a snow globe, which is what you belief, right?" The whole flat Earth theory falls apart by admitting Mars is a planet. Regardless, on her eighteenth birthday, Geographically Round Earth Teen Activist, acronym, Greta Thunberg, chose to humor Elon's question while poking fun at the flat Earthers, all at the same time.
"What separates successful people from super successful people is the latter say no a lot!"
- Warren Buffett
Because they realize their greatest commodity is time! ft
Eve's Dropping
This is not a statement of paranoia. It is simply a fact about our electronic devices we should be aware of. We can even take advantage of it. Two years ago, my son had a teacher’s day off. I mentioned for fun he should watch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, a movie he never heard off. Long story short I started getting solicitations for t-shirts, mugs, movie posters and rentals, all for said movie. Fast forward today, the mundane-ness of this story makes it funnier: My wife bought her 90-year-old mother a pack of cotton underwear on Amazon, and told me - out loud - she loved it. I replied she should buy more. Later that night the price of said underwear had gone from $ 12.99 to $ 19.99 per pack for the exact same sku. Following morning my wife shared this price hike with me stating - out loud - she sure wasn’t going to buy them now! Later that night, the price dropped back to $ 12.99, and that’s how it works folks!
"There are no secrets to success. It's the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure"
- Colin Powell