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25.01.2022 #unicorns From Statista: "According to CB Insights, Chinese AI company Bytedance, parent company of TikTok, is the highest-valued startup currently private, up-and-coming company in the world. The venture which is valued at $140 billion is running content platform Toutiao in China, which uses machine learning to tailor a newsfeed for each individual viewer out of traditional and new media sources. ... Earlier this summer, the U.S. government announced it was considering banning Chinese social media apps, including the highly popular app TikTok. The second highest-valued startup according to CB Insights is also from China ride-hailing service Didi valued at $56 billion, while Elon Musk's space company SpaceX took third place in the list of unicorns, valued at $46 billion as of September. U.S companies now make up 60 percent of the top 10, the remaining startups being Chinese or Indian. According to CB Insights, there are more than 400 unicorn startups (companies valued at $1 billion or more) in the world as of September 2020."' Check out my blog at: http://ow.ly/zoDF50BkhAz

25.01.2022 #pwc #singapore #startups Some good thought leadership by my former related company, PwC Singapore ! Continuing to open up and to start leveling the playing field!... http://ow.ly/GYcO50BPgrN

25.01.2022 #lean #agile #oilandgas A bit technical, but here is an interesting graphic by Mckinsey & Co which shows different agile team models and their applications. In summary, interesting and dramatic business outcomes in companies like big oil companies like BP, e.g. cutting $60m from its logistics costs in Azerbaijan by establishing a cross disciplinary team to work out how to optimise vessel surveys quickly. ... A similar team cut the capital costs from a new project in the pre-final investment decision (FID) stage by $1 billion. For other interesting business blog posts, please see: https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/blog/

25.01.2022 #micromanagement #projectmanagement My takeaway: Some companies are struggling with the optimal model for project management! "40% of project managers spend most of their time micromanaging employee responsibility and answering questions over email." (Source: Saaslist)... http://ow.ly/WTPb50CicMP

24.01.2022 #remoteteams #collaboration #SAFe Have you considered using even more remote teams? Confused as to what are all of the considerations? Organizations use a variety of tooling in line with their requirements, vendor preferences and security needs. Regardless of the specific tools chosen, there are six critical categories that provide support to Agile teams with remote team members." ... See the chart and contact me for a free appointment on whether remote teams are appropriate for you: kenbusinessdoctor.youcanbook.me

24.01.2022 #experts #kaggle An interesting case study showing that small start-ups can outperform "experts". "Kaggle, a subsidiary of Google LLC, is an online community of data scientists and machine learning practitioners. Kaggle allows users to find and publish data sets, explore and build models in a web-based data-science environment, work with other data scientists and machine learning engineers, and enter competitions to solve data science challenges." ... "When Kaggle runs a competition, it has found that the first responders are experts in a particular domain who say, We know this industry, we’ve done this before and we’ll figure it out. And just as inevitably, within two weeks, complete newcomers to the field trounce their best results. For example, the Hewlett Foundation sponsored a 2012 competition to develop an automated scoring algorithm for student-written essays. Of the 155 teams competing, three were awarded a total of $ 100,000 in prize money. What was particularly interesting was the fact that none of the winners had prior experience with natural language processing (NLP). Nonetheless, they beat the experts, many of them with decades of experience in NLP under their belts." Check out my blog: https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/blog/

24.01.2022 #healthapp My simple takeaway is that health apps have a good future! Statista: "Chinese and Indians are most likely to use health apps and are also the most willing to pay when it comes to using your phone or smartwatch to track your health and wellness. This is according to the Statista Global Consumer Survey, which quizzed people on their health app use.... Americans were found to be using health apps very commonly but were also the biggest freeloaders when it comes to health apps together with Germans. Using a health app was actually less common in Europe with only 22 to 40 percent of respondents saying they were using one. Use was lowest in Japan at just 12 percent of respondents. The most common type of app used were nutrition apps. Apps monitoring heart rate or other bodily functions and those tracking sleep were also popular. Indians were most likely to use meditation or mindfulness apps." For other interesting business blog posts: please see http://ow.ly/H9wn50BQHCu

24.01.2022 #apple #wearables According to Statista: "Apple will hold a special (virtual) event on Tuesday, where it is widely expected to unveil new products for the upcoming holiday season. While the company’s September event is usually reserved for new iPhone models, this year’s presentation is reportedly all about the iPhone’s supporting cast, while the main act is expected to take the stage in October. With press invites reading time flies, it is considered all but certain that Ap...ple will present at least one new Apple Watch on Tuesday, with a second, entry-level model to succeed the Apple Watch Series 3 also widely expected. Other products rumored to be unveiled this week include Apple-branded over-ear headphones and Tile-like tracking devices that can be attached to keys, wallets or other valuables. All of these products would likely fall into Apple’s Wearables, Home and Accessories segment (formerly known as Other Products), which has been growing rapidly over the past few years.Fueled by the success of Apple Watch and AirPods in particular, sales from the segment have nearly doubled between 2017 and 2019, with fiscal year 2020 sales likely to come close to $30 billion." Wow - clever range! Check out my blog: http://ow.ly/SKb450BqFbr

24.01.2022 #relaxation My takeaway: The classics can be helpful for stress reduction during these challenging COVID times! Statista: "When Ludwig van Beethoven was born in December 1770, the world was a different place. And while the German composer and pianist who would have turned 250 today is naturally long gone, he left a musical legacy that endured centuries.... Until today, Beethoven’s music remains highly relevant, even though the maestro would probably be a bit overwhelmed by the way people listen to his work in the digital age. According to data shared by Spotify, Beethoven has 6.1 million monthly listeners on the world’s most popular streaming service, trailing only his compatriot Johann Sebastian Bach in terms of his monthly audience. And while that doesn’t make Beethoven another Drake, who has more than 50 million monthly listeners, it’s doubtful the stars of the digital age will still be listened to 250 years from now, when Beethoven will likely still be a household name." https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/

23.01.2022 As an American living in Australia, this Statista chart doesn't need much explanation or takeaways -- just that I wouldn't like to be sick in America!! Check out my blog for other interesting posts: https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/blog/

23.01.2022 #middleman Even the big boys are revising their #supply chains! According to Statista: "Following a 38-percent drop in revenue in the past quarter caused largely by store closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nike sales bounced back in the quarter ended August 31, the first of Nike’s fiscal year 2021. While overall sales for the sportswear giant were still down 1 percent compared to the same period last year, sales were up nearly 70 percent compared to the three months ende...d May 31. The better-than-expected results were largely driven by Nike’s direct-to-consumer business, which saw sales increase by 12 percent year-over-year to $3.7 billion, and specifically by the company’s booming online sales, which were up 82 percent over the same period last year. The latest results are just a continuation of a longer-term trend that sees Nike, like other industry heavyweights, cut out the middle man and move more and more towards selling directly to consumers, at the expense of traditional retailers. " Check out my business blog: http://ow.ly/tZ9c50BzwcS

22.01.2022 #techcertifications #ITsalaries #Expert360 Techies/Geeks/Nerds (like me!): Interesting to see the top paying tech certifications in North America. These are the ones associated with roles most in demand. A few acronyms but a lot centred around Amazon Web Services and even ScrumMaster/Project Management... For getting clever and talented ScrumMasters and Project Management, check out Expert360. https://www.expert360.com

22.01.2022 Hello Agile Teams Do you sometimes wonder if your Agile and Scrum practices could improve to result in more productivity and more positive team morale? Want to know objectively the good things your team is doing and in which areas you could improve?... I have assisted many teams in dramatically improving their practices to help them feel positive and feel confident. I have over 7 certifications in Agile/Scrum and in traditional project management so can assist you in an easy and effective way that is tailored to your company and team. You can arrange a free consultation with me to explore how your Agile/Scrum teams can take it to the next level. Follow the link below to set up the call -- I look forward to meeting you! kenbusinessdoctor.youcanbook.me

22.01.2022 #richest My takeaway is that there are some damn rich families in Asia! (Profound, eh?!) Statista: "According to a ranking published by Bloomberg on Sunday, the Ambanis are the wealthiest among Asia’s families, owing their riches to the Reliance Industries conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai. The rest of the ranking’s top 10 is a mix of different industries, countries and also some global household names."... http://ow.ly/AviW50CyWaQ

22.01.2022 #SAFe #wsjf #prioritzation Have you ever wondered how to prioritise different features or user stories? A very powerful concept is WSJF, or Weighted Shorted Job First. ... This provides a framework for making what appears to be complex and complicated decisions quickly and effectively! If interested in knowing more, feel free to contact me for a free consultation: kenbusinessdoctor.youcanbook.me

21.01.2022 #COVID #motorcycle #asia My takeaway is the COVID has affected South East Asian countries in different ways! Statista: "According to reports by Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, motorcycle sales similar to bicycle sales are increasing worldwide due to growing demand for socially-distanced travel modes. In Asia, where the motorcycle is a preferred mode of travel because of its low-cost and ability to move through blocked-up traffic, several countries and regional e...conomies have seen monthly sales increase above 2019 levels. In the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan and China, sales increased by between 6 and 17 percent in August and July compared to the same month in 2019. While the Philippines and China saw sales dip and recover due to the crisis, Japan and Taiwan which managed to keep their economies mostly open during the pandemic actually saw sales pick up without much of a slump beforehand. The picture is quite different in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia (one of the biggest sellers in the region) where sales are still suffering majorly due to the crisis. June and July figures were the latest available so a recovery... could still happen there in the months to come" For other interesting blog posts: http://ow.ly/gVtV50C3sKM

21.01.2022 Interested in #businessagility? How about applying this in #Japan?!! Here is an interesting article by a clever IBM Japan colleague. ... Your thoughts and observations will be appreciated! https://www.dropbox.com//20201005-Masaya%20Tamura%20agilit

21.01.2022 My takeaway -- especially after watching Netflix's "The Social Dilemma" last night -- makes me ponder how we can use these apps to benefit and unite us (not divide us!) Statista: "Most smartphone users have at least one #app which they couldn't live without, be it for their favorite social media platform or perhaps messaging. Survey data from Audience Project shows that for Americans, Facebook is at the top of this list for the most people and is the app most commonly cited as one they could least do without. Closely linked, Instagram is in second place, while Gmail makes up the top three "essential" apps on mobile." For other interesting business posts, check out: http://ow.ly/f3vV50BWVqx

21.01.2022 One of the cleverest and most talented guys in the Agile/Scrum space is the trainer, Kane Mar. He lists the "go-to" reading (intermediate to advanced). Well done Kane!

21.01.2022 #exo #democracy If you watch only one YouTube video this year, please watch this one. It has valuable insights on multiple levels. From one of the most profound, visionary and pragmatic thinkers globally -- with insights guiding actions that make a difference. ... This video does not just cover democracy and is not part of a polarised discussion -- instead it provides a good analysis of what has got us to where we are now. Topics include: * Abundance vs scarcity * Pace of technology innovation * Sample of a breast disease kit that could eliminate this disease * Star Trek vs Mad Max future Enjoy -- and follow him and Exponential Organizations! https://www.youtube.com/results

21.01.2022 Interesting endorsement by PayPal of #bitcoin #cryptocurrency #blockchain ! http://ow.ly/xkj350C0grH

19.01.2022 #philanthropy #donations My takeaway is that it is good that these billionaires are practicing philanthropy - but donations and contributions could also be increased for helping bring the US health system up to global standards. Statista: "Despite massively growing their fortunes, the amount billionaires donated to charitable causes remained at historic lows in 2020 according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy's annual ranking of the top charitable contributions from individual...s and their foundations. There was one exception, however, and that was the staggering $10 billion Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos put into launching the Bezos Earth Fund which is intended to support nonprofits fighting climate change. That amounted to 10 percent of his fortune at the time but it pales in comparison to the growth of his wealth between March and December 2020, which climbed $70 billion. The sum of the second through tenth largest contributions added up to $2.6 billion, the lowest level seen since 2011. The list was notable for the absence of several key billionaires, particularly Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk who became the world's wealthiest man yesterday, with the Chronicle stating that he donated $0 to charity. Bill Gates was also absent despite the $20 billion he added to his fortune between March and December. Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife Penny took second and third place on the list after Bezos due to separate $250 million and $100 million donations to the Center for Tech and Civic Life. Two key names do not appear on the top-10 list as none of their individual donations were large enough to qualify. They are McKenzie Scott, Bezos' ex-wife and Twitter boss Jack Dorsey who gave more than $4 billion and $300 million to good causes, respectively." http://ow.ly/Ou8B50D3R4G

19.01.2022 #5G #4G #iphone12 Statista: "As Apple is getting ready to ship the new iPhone 12 this week, much has been written about the new iPhones’ standout feature: 5G. When introducing its latest line of smartphones at a virtual event on October 13, Apple put a lot of emphasis on its jump to 5G, which surprised many considering how late Apple is to the party. Not only have competing smartphone brands supported 5G for a while now, but 5G coverage is still mediocre at best in most count...ries, including the United States. And while coverage remains an issue 5G users are connected to 5G only 21 percent of the time in the U.S. and even more rarely in most European markets the speed of the new networking standard is in fact a giant leap forward. According to an analysis conducted by Open Signal between July 1 and September 28 of this year, 5G users often experience download speeds that are several times faster than 4G speeds. While that is also true for the United States, where 5G is 1.8 times faster than 4G on average, the U.S. trails other countries in speed overall, especially on 5G networks." For other interesting business posts, please see: http://ow.ly/qQcc50C0h3a

19.01.2022 #agileprinciples It is always helpful to have a reminder of agile principles that provide the foundation for an effective mindset and practices -- to result in better client focus and sustainable business outcomes! They are good guiding principles here at Woolworths!

18.01.2022 #remote #projectmanagement #expert360 Wonder whether remote project management can work for your company? A simple search of LinkedIn shows over 7,433 jobs for project managers -- handled remotely!!... This demonstrates the massive disruption and change to the recruitment industry due to COVID -- an overdue digital transformation! Also, consider innovative companies like Expert360 who qualify and get the best talent for roles like this! https://expert360.com/

18.01.2022 #remoteworking #scrummaster #agileprojectmanagement #expert360 #upwork Are you interested in finding out more about how to make your organisation truly agile -- to better meet customer satisfactionvia more frequent product deliveries and to improve team morale and productivity? Check out my blog post:... https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/are-agile-practices-real/

18.01.2022 #agile #scrum #kanban Are you new to agile and scrum? Confused about the terminology, but want to reap benefits of faster and more quality delivery of products, of better motivated and happy teams, of happier customers? Agile is an umbrella framework that covers multiple types of practices including the popular kanban (visual) boards and other techniques.... If you want to know how this could apply to your company, please feel free to contact me for a free consultation at KenBusinessDoctor.youcanbook.me

17.01.2022 #agile #scrum Here is an advanced Agile/Scrum topic: Analysts/Agile Teams: Have you ever been challenged in effectively decomposing large chunks of functionality (e.g. Epics) into appropriately-sized User Stories?... If so, then you should consider the F.E.E.D.B.A.C.K technique. This provides a variety of tools to develop the right-sized User Story, e.g. using Flow-Influenced Story Effort-Influenced Story Entry-Influenced Story Data Operations-Influenced Story Business Rules-Influenced Story Alternatives-Influenced Story Complexity-Influenced Story Knowledge-Influenced Story Feel free to contact me to learn more about this technique and to see how it can be used by your Team. Kenbusinessdoctor.youcanbook.me

17.01.2022 Maybe you have already seen this moving graphic of the world's richest people over time, but fascinating in any case! https://fb.watch/1lIak5Zlcm/

16.01.2022 #microsoft #acquisitions Wow -- look at the acquisitions by Microsoft! The scale and diversity is amazing! Check out my other business blog posts: https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/blog/

16.01.2022 #costs Statista: "Copenhagen has the highest cappuccino prices at $6.30 per cup on average while Dubai comes second with prices as high as $6. Hong Kong comes in third with an average cost of $5.7 a cup while Oslo, a repeat offender in these cost comparisons, comes fourth with $5.50. It's also well known that coffee prices in Paris aren't for the faint-hearted and they also average $5.50." For other interesting business posts, please check out my blog: http://ow.ly/5EHR50BEUVI

16.01.2022 #covid My takeaway: Interesting to see the stats from this one State of the USA in which Hospitalizations are at least 3x more common for unvaccinated than vaccinated people and deaths are more than 10x more common. Get vaccinated!

16.01.2022 #agile #agileprojectmanagement #scrum #scrummaster Does remote agile project management really work? Interestingly as a response to these COVID times, remote agile project management has dramatically increased -- with many companies now saying there is no going back to pre-COVID times. The reason is that companies are able to get the top experienced talent for effectively conducting agile/scrum projects and to upskill the capability of their teams.... Client companies have used outsourcing/recruitment companies like Expert360, Upwork and others in addition to individual practitioners to get the top talent of certified Scrum Masters, Certified Scrum Trainers, Certified Product Owners, etc. Questions to ask include: What are your certifications? What are the agile projects you have successfully completed? What tools do you use, e.g. Jira/Confluence, Microsoft Azure Dev/Ops, Asana, Trello, Monday, etc? Can you provide some client references? Etc. Feel free to set up a free appointment to explore how Agile Project Management/Scrum Master services can be tailored to your requirements and can bring substantial business benefits. Kenbusinessdoctor.youcanbook.me

16.01.2022 #exponentialorganization #community For startups or organisations wishing to grow: "Create a platform to automate peer-to-peer engagement. GitHub, for example, has its members rate and review other members’ code. ... Airbnb hosts and users fill out evaluation forms; taxi disrupters Uber, Lyft and Sidecar encourage clients and drivers to rate one another; and the news platform Reddit invites users to vote on stories. In 2013, Reddit, which has just fifty-one employees, most of whom manage the platform, saw 731 million unique visitors cast 6.7 billion votes on 41 million stories. Talk about a platform!" (Exponential Organization) Check out my blog: http://ow.ly/48gL50BnImS

15.01.2022 My takeaway is that tech companies are not the only very profitable companies -- and the scale is phenomenal! Statista: "According to the Fortune Global 500 published today, Saudi Aramco was still the world's most profitable company in 2019. But looking at the company's Q2 results - also released today - those days might be over as quickly as they started.... By preparing to be publicly listed, Saudi state oil company Saudi Aramco disclosed its profits for the first time. At $111.1 billion for the year 2018, they overshot earnings of other companies by a large margin. After finally going public in late 2019, the company put that year's profits at $88.2 billion, still the highest in the world. Because of the oil price decline and quarrels within OPEC, the company is now on track to earn less than $50 billion this year. This would put the oil giant behind investment firm Berkshire Hathaway and Apple on the list of the most profitable companies in the world. " For other business blog posts, check out: https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/blog/

14.01.2022 #agile #scrum Very interesting and relevant article, if I do say so myself! https://thriveglobal.com//are-agile-practices-really-impo/

13.01.2022 #covid As a dual American-Australian citizen living in Australia, this is very frustrating and disheartening. According to Statista: "A new Pew Research Center survey has found that international views of the United States have deteriorated sharply in recent years, particularly since Donald Trump was elected president. ... In some countries, the share of the public with a favorable view of the U.S. has fallen to its lowest level since Pew first conducted the survey nearly 20 years ago. In France and Germany, favorability has declined to levels not seen since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. The survey's findings regarding international attitudes towards America's coronavirus response are damning with half or more of respondents in 11 countries stating that the U.S. handled the situation very badly. The highest share of people saying the U.S. did a good job was in Spain at 20 percent while the lowest value was recorded in South Korea at six percent. This infographic shows the situation in eight U.S. ally/partner countries with the share of the public considering America's response bad at 85 percent or higher in South Korea, Australia and Germany. Check out my blog: https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/

13.01.2022 #COVID #cycling My take-away is that now is the time to #reinvent by investing in #infrastructure that makes a difference for the future! It can -- as is -- being done! Statista: "In Europe, some countries have prioritzed and invested heavily in cycling infrastructure for years with the Netherlands and Denmark the two most notable examples. The Covid-19 pandemic has now forced other countries to follow suit as people avoid overcrowded public transportation systems and embra...ce their bicycles. That has resulted in big business for bike manufacturers with major shortages reported while governments have moved to roll out the infrastructure needed to support the sudden cycling boom. That is taking the form of conventional cycling lanes, car-free areas and traffic calming measures with 34 of the EU's 94 biggest cities announcing that they have taken some form of action. Indeed more than 1 billion has been spent on cycling infrastructure across Europe since the outbreak of Covid-19 with more than 1000 kilometres implemented so far. Finland has spent 7.76 per person on cycling, the most of any European country, followed by Italy (5.04 per person) and France (4.91 per person)." See my blog for other interesting posts: http://ow.ly/RF7a50BOSeO

13.01.2022 #projectmanagement #projectfailures Business owners: Some of my clients (and my experience too unfortunately!) report that "changes in organisational priorities" result in project delivery failures. Is that your experience too?... https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/ /

13.01.2022 A bit technical but the following set of Metrics demonstrates a short but fairly comprehensive set of #Lean measures which can be used to assess progress for an entire #portfolio. Can be used to ensure that the "right" projects are being done! It is time for portfolio management to be disrupted and made pragmatic and useful!... Check out my blog: https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/blog/

13.01.2022 #digital An interesting takeaway from this Statista chart is that the US, China and India have many millions on line. However, due to their size, the potential growth in China and particularly India is substantial due to their off-line population (i.e. India has the approximate same number of online people as offline people).... For other interesting business posts, please see my blog at https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/blog/

13.01.2022 #complexity Business Owners/Agile Teams: Does complexity sometimes overwhelm you? One of my clients recently didn't know where to begin in improving their business and its outcomes.... Through some independent observations and use of effective tools like business canvases and agile prioritisation, we were able to simplify and come up with a pragmatic and effective plan -- which resulted in reassuring focus and desired business outcomes! http://kenbusinessdoctor.youcanbook.me/

13.01.2022 #immigrants #NobelPrize #female My takeaway is that unilaterally building walls to immigrants is a lose-lose! Statista: "Yesterday’s awarding of the Nobel Prize in chemistry to two female scientists was outstanding because it was the first time two women are sharing the prize. It was quite a regular affair in another regard: One of the two laureates, Emmanuelle Charpentier, is working as an French expat at the German Max Planck Institute in Berlin. Expats and immigrants winn...ing Nobel Prices in the sciences for institutions in their host countries is a common scenario, as our graphic shows. Since 1969 (the year the economics prize was added), a majority share of Nobel Prizes in the science categories have gone to U.S. institutions. But the scientists carrying out the cutting-edge research there have for a long time come from all over the world. Out of the 281 laureates that were exclusively affiliated with U.S. institutions, 87 had been born abroad, according to the Nobel Prize Foundation website." For other interesting --more detailed -- business blog posts: http://ow.ly/BCO750BOTpJ

12.01.2022 #COVID According to Statista: "Mexico has the highest death toll of any country in Amnesty's findings with 1,320 heath workers dying in the pandemic so far. Mexico has a low testing rate compared to ther countries while health workers took to the streets in major cities to protest a chronic lack of PPE during the early stages of the outbreak. Amnesty states that hospital workers are especially at risk as the majority of such services have now been outsourced, leading to a l...ower level of protective equipment. The U.S. has suffered the second-highest health worker death toll worldwide with 1,077 deaths recorded by Amnesty with the UK following in third place with 649 deaths. Brazil (634), Russia (631) and India (573) are also among the worst-impacted countries. " See my blog at: https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/blog/

12.01.2022 #gold #australia Wow -- one of my takeaways is now I know why Australia is called "the lucky country"!! Statista: "The levels of demand for gold are now prompting questions about whether reserves of the commodity are being exhausted and if humanity has reached "peak gold". Some experts believe we have indeed reached that point, a view that is supported by annual gold production statistics. Mining has largely levelled off in recent years and given that the 3,351 tonnes extrac...ted in 2019 was 1 percent lower than 2018, we are actually on an ever so slight downward trajectory. So which mines are producing the most gold every year? The BBC analysis states that gold mines in Nevada produce around 116 tonnes of the stuff every year which is comfortably the highest amount globally. The Muruntau Gold Mine in Uzbekistan's Qizilqum Desert is the world's largest open-pit gold mine and it has the second highest level of annual production at 66 tonnes. The Olimpiada gold deposit in the Severo-Yeniseysky District of Russia was discovered in 1975 and its mine is the third-largest worldwide with 43.2 tonnes each year." For other interesting posts, please see my blog: http://ow.ly/IsXy50BIk11

12.01.2022 #femaleentrepreneur My takeaway is that there are some surprises in selected countries where female entrepreneurs are making good inroads! Statista: " According to a study carried out in 43 countries and territories by the Global Entrepreneurship Research Association, female entrepreneurs are especially common in developing nations like Angola as well as in developed countries on the Arabian Peninsular, like Saudi Arabia, Oman or Kuwait, and in the Americas, like in Panama, ...Chile and the U.S. Many developed nations in Europe have very low rates of female entrepreneurs, according to the study. The researchers distinguish between necessity-driven entrepreneurship, which can be caused by a lack of formal employment opportunities in a country, and innovation-driven entrepreneurialism, which exists in countries with well-developed formal job markets. Yet, within both types of economies, big differences exist between the rates of female entrepreneurs. While in Angola, more than 50 percent of adult women engaged in entrepreneurial activity (slightly above the rate for men), fewer women were entrepreneurs in low-income countries like Egypt (5.4 percent) or Morocco (4.5 percent). Here, it was more common for men to be entrepreneurs (around 10-17 percent each). European countries fared extraordinarily badly, with Italy (0.9 percent) having the second-lowest rate of female entrepreneurship in the ranking ahead of Poland (2.4 percent). Panama was the developed country with most female entrepreneurs (29.1 percent). In most developed countries, the rate of male entrepreneurs was 50 to 100 percent higher than that of female entrepreneurs. Among high-income countries, Germany and Spain had progressed furthest in closing that gap, with less than 1 percentage point separating male and female entrepreneurs." https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/

12.01.2022 #scrum #agile #scrummaster #kanban Interested in experienced and successful Certified Scrum Masters/Agile Project Managers? Please check out my self-introduction!... https://youtu.be/Sqpc3atQNJE

11.01.2022 The foundation of the #customer-centric enterprise is #marketresearch and #userresearch that creates actionable insights into the problems customers face, the solution requirements, and the solution context. Market research tends to drive strategy; user research tends to drive design. Check out my blog: http://ow.ly/tYTa50BCxLz

10.01.2022 #motivation A very relevant and timely article about a very insightful (and successful) coach. https://www.afr.com//why-the-pursuit-of-perfection-is-bull

10.01.2022 #crimestatistics #globalcomparisons My takeaway is that this is not an easy problem -- but using a global context, there are things that can be done - with a holistic solution of jobs, industrial policy focusing on the right industries, broad upskilling, neighbourhood activities, and a fair judicial system. Statista: "In late December the Associated Press reported that 2020 was on track to become the deadliest year in U.S. history with the total number of deaths forecast to ...rise 15 percent compared to 2019, primarily due to the coronavirus pandemic. There were also several other smaller contributory factors, however, including higher death tolls from heart & circulatory diseases as well as from the country's opioid crisis. The U.S. also experienced its most violent year in decades with an unprecedented rise in homicides. The Gun Violence Archive reported that more than 19,000 people died in shootings or firearm-related incidents in 2020, the highest figure in over two decades. Statista: "New Orleans-based crime analyst Jeff Asher took a closer look at the number of murders in 57 major American cities and he found that the number of offenses grew in 51 of them. He only focused on agencies where data was available and most of them had figures through November or December of 2020. Growth in violent crime varied by city with Seattle seeing a 74 percent spike in homicides between 2019 and 2020 while Chicago and Boston saw their offenses grow 55.5 percent and 54 percent, respectively. Elsewhere, Washington D.C. and Las Vegas saw growth in their murder offences, albeit at a slower pace of less than 20 percent." http://ow.ly/ozdc50D7WNP

10.01.2022 #travel Statista: "If you're planning on traveling the world whenever the pandemic finally comes to an end, you better make sure you have a proper travel adaptor in your rucksack. As well as incredible linguistic and cultural diversity, the planet also has a multitude of different sockets and this can prove a nightmare for the ill-prepared. The following infographic attempts to provide a global guide to plugging in by visualizing the major outlet types in use in different cou...ntries." For other more in-depth business posts, please see: https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/blog/

10.01.2022 #infantmortality #globalhealth My takeaway is that this shouldn't be and -- for my fellow Americans -- it represents poor priorities and values, especially for a wealthy nation. Statista: "With the advancement of modern medicine, maternal deaths while giving birth are becoming increasingly rare in many developed countries across the world. Still, while high-income countries generally correlate positively with lower maternal mortality rates, the U.S. stands out as having an... abnormally high rate of maternal deaths globally despite their vast wealth and medical technology. New data shows just how far the U.S. leads other developed countries in maternal deaths." http://ow.ly/EE5K50CyVY7

09.01.2022 #japan My beloved Japan!! Time to reinvent!! Statista: "Japan [has] amassed a mountain of debt that it carries to this day. An aging population and a shrinking consumer market are other factors making it hard to revive the Japanese economy, as is the country’s continued reliance on exports and tendency to invest overseas rather than at home.... Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promised the country relief through his Abenomics economic revival program but hasn’t lifted the country out of stagnation yet. The Abe administration significantly eased monetary policy and increased government spending, while simultaneously aiming for structural reforms to make the Japanese economy more competitive. Some of the reforms, for example getting more women to join the workforce, have been successful. Others, like increasing the inflow of foreign workers, still lack acceptance." Check out other interesting posts in my blog: https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/blog/

09.01.2022 #competition My takeaway is that the decision to unwind Facebook's acqusitions is a complex issue!! Statista: "The Commission is seeking to unwind Facebook’s prior acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, a bold target considering that the FTC greenlit the Instagram deal in 2012 after an in-depth review and the European Commission found no threat to competition stemming from the WhatsApp in a similar investigation in 2014.... In a statement published by Facebook, the company’s Vice President and General Counsel Jennifer Newstead calls the lawsuit revisionist history, pointing out that Facebook invested billions of dollars to make Instagram and WhatsApp what they are today and warning that this lawsuit risks sowing doubt and uncertainty about the US government’s own merger review process and whether acquiring businesses can actually rely on the outcomes of the legal process. As the following chart shows, Facebook does have a point when saying that the companies it acquired in 2012 and 2014 were nowhere near where they are today. Instagram had around 30 million users at the time of its acquisition, while WhatsApp was considerably larger at 450 million users when Facebook came knocking." http://ow.ly/35ju50CKomm

08.01.2022 #innovation #consultants #expert360 FYI, I came across a very clever and innovative company -- most of your probably already know about it! -- that helps companies to source very talented experts such as strategy & finance, project management, data & analytics, business services, technology, and others -- easily and more cost-effectively. Check it out! ... https://expert360.com/

07.01.2022 #rework #projectmanagement Wow -- my takeaway is that many companies are experiencing poor project management - resulting in rework. "80% of organizations report that they spend at least half their time on rework." (Source: Geneca)... http://ow.ly/8n3N50CfVGZ

06.01.2022 #projectmanagement #projectfailures Wow -- My takeaway is that leaders in many companies are hurting from lack of good project management -- leading to project failures. "46% of companies have come forward to accept that they do not understand the need or importance of project management. "(Source: PMI)... http://ow.ly/N2BJ50Ch3Ig

06.01.2022 #agileteams Are you considering remote agile services? Want the most effective agile/scrum tools? Did you know that all agile tools "are not created equal"? ... Some tools are actually more distracting and take the focus off of the agile value of "People over processes/tools". Some popular tools are: Jira, VersionOne, CA Agile Central (formerely Rally), Azure DevOps, and even Excel. Contact me for a free consultation in helping choose the optimal tool for your organisation/team: kenbusinessdoctor.youcanbook.me

06.01.2022 #internationaltourism #covid My takeaway: Some parts of the world have been more affected by the COVID, including my beloved and beautiful Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Statista: "International tourist arrivals were down 65 percent globally for the first half of 2020 compared to the same period of 2019. With the recent uptick in new infections around the world proving a major setback in efforts to reanimate the ailing tourism sector, millions of people are fearing for ...their livelihood, especially in regions heavily dependent on the influx of international tourists." For more interesting business posts, please see my blog: https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/blog/

06.01.2022 #robots Statista: "In 2019, South Korea had 855 installed industrial robots per 10,000 employees. That is mainly due to the contiued installation of high volume robots in the electronics and electric sectors. Germany and Japan are renowned for their automotive industries and they have density levels of just around 350 per 10,000 workers. Interestingly, Japan is one of the main players in industrial robotics, accounting for over half of the global supply. In the United States..., the pace of automation is slower with a density rate of 228. China is eager to expand its level of automation in the coming years and it has been targeting a place in the world's top-10 nations for robot density by 2020. It had a density rate of 25 units in 2013 and that grew to 97 by 2017. In 2019, that figure had grown quite considerably once again to 187." For other interesting business posts, please see my blog: https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/blog/

06.01.2022 #reinvention #pivot My takeaway is that Disney is demonstrating good skills at pivoting and reinventing itself! Statista: "If Netflix is one of the companies better suited to the special circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney is certainly at the other end of that spectrum. With theme parks and resorts closed, cruises suspended, and movie theaters shuttered for months, the media and entertainment giant from Burbank, California has been hit on multiple fronts b...y the ongoing crisis. COVID-19 and measures to prevent its spread impacted our segments in a number of ways, most significantly at Parks, Experiences and Products, the company wrote in its latest earnings report for the quarter and fiscal year ended October 3, 2020. Our theme parks were closed or operating at significantly reduced capacity for a significant portion of the year, cruise ship sailings and guided tours were suspended since late in the second quarter and retail stores were closed for a significant portion of the year. We also had an adverse impact on our merchandise licensing business. In addition, at Studio Entertainment we have delayed, or in some cases, shortened or cancelled, theatrical releases, and stage play performances have been suspended since late in the second quarter. Meanwhile Disney’s direct-to-consumer business, including Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu may have profited from the special circumstances as people were forced to stay at home. Less than 12 months after its launch, Disney+ has already reached 73 million paid subscribers, illustrating the pull of Disney's vast content library. "The real bright spot has been our direct-to-consumer business, which is key to the future of our company," CEO Bob Chapek said." https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/

06.01.2022 #agile #retrospectives Agile Teams/Scrum Masters/Product Owners: Would you like another tool in your toolset for effective Sprint Retrospectives?... The PANCAKE agenda helps to provide one framework for prompting discussion. Each Team member is encouraged to participate by adding a post it. A good "icebreaker"! (Kudos to Doug Rose for his Agile at Work series). For other interesting business posts, please see my blog at: http://ow.ly/W9Bp50BSLAW

05.01.2022 #data #internet My takeaway is that the scale of data being consumed in 2020 is phenomenal -- and will just continue to grow! Check out my other blog posts: http://ow.ly/dXDA50BBKwv

05.01.2022 Statista: "With heatwaves, droughts and other extreme weather events becoming more frequent .. across the globe, the consequences of climate change are becoming more and more visible. . Tesla is possibly the best example of a fast-moving upstart beating industry heavyweights at a game it shouldn’t be winning, considering the goliaths it is up against. According to a recent report from PwC, venture capital investment in climate tech startups, including companies from a broad... range of sectors tackling the challenge of decarbonizing the global economy, has risen sharply over the past decade. PwC finds that climate tech startups attracted more than $16 billion in VC funding last year, up from less than $500 million in 2013. In total, $59.5 billion of venture capital flowed into startups contributing to the reduction of global carbon emissions. As the following chart shows, the San Francisco Bay Area is by far the largest climate tech hub, with companies based there attracting $11.7 billion in funding since 2013. With five cities in the top 10, China also plays a leading role in the climate tech startup scene, while Berlin and Bengaluru are the only non-U.S. or Chinese cities in the top 10." For other posts: http://ow.ly/CrqL50BWRUN

05.01.2022 #reinvent #universities According to Statista: "The latest global university ranking has been released by Times Higher Education, putting the UK's Oxford University at the top of the pile. Institutions are ranked based on five indicators: teaching, research, citations, international outlook and industry income. ... On this basis, the UK and United States completely dominate the top of the list, with only one other country represented in the first 15 - Switzerland with ETH Zurich in 14th place." Check out my blog: https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/blog/

04.01.2022 My takeaway is let's make the transition to affordable and effective #alternativeenergy sources as timely as possible! Statista: Pollution " .. can have an impact on the economy in many forms such as higher rates of asthma, diabetes or chronic respiratory diseases leading to reduced ability to work and lower participation rates in the labor force. Children susceptible to asthma attacks also miss school days, impacting their learning while healthcare requirements can result in... their guardians also taking extra time off work. According to the report, disability from chronic diseases cost the world's economy $200 billion in 2018, with sick leave and preterm births costing $100 billion and $90 billion respectively. The total annual cost of air pollution in China is estimated to be $900 billion each year with costs in the U.S. running to $600 billion annually. Indian cities have scored unfavorably in air pollution indexes for years and the issue costs the country $150 billion per year on average. In 2018, the cost of dirty air equated to 6.6 percent of Chinese GDP, 5.4 percent of India's GDP and 3 percent of U.S. GDP." For other interesting business posts, please see my blog at: http://ow.ly/knp050BQy3U

04.01.2022 #agile #scrum #retrospectives Agile Teams/Scrum Masters/Product Owners: The "Starfish Diagram" can be a very helpful tool for Sprint Retrospectives, i.e. to get the team thinking of process improvement. Each Team members place their post-it on a board within one of the listed areas. Makes for good discussion - -and continual improvement of the processes, resulting in better product deliveries, in happier customers (and in happier teams!)... (Kudos to Doug Rose in his LinkedIn "Agile at Work" series). For other interesting more detailed business posts, please check out: http://ow.ly/eUS550BU1ih

03.01.2022 #kanban #teamproductivity #complexity #lean #customersatisfaction Business owners: It is amazing but the implementation of some simple concepts like "kanban boards" can result in dramatically improved team productivity and morale, in simplifying the complexity of projects, and in resulting in a happier team and better satisfied customer! In summary, it makes visual the tasks that the team is doing and they see progress on a daily basis. ... If you aren't doing this now, you are missing out on things your competitors are doing and that makes a difference to your business outcomes! Contact me for a free consultation on how "kanban boards" can provide dramatic benefits to your company: kenbusinessdoctor.youcanbook.me

03.01.2022 #coffee A bit counter-intuitive, if I may say! I thought that Italy would rank higher and France would be in there!... For other interesting business posts, check out my blog: https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/blog/

01.01.2022 #scaling #exponentialorganization #managementconsulting Are you a company that is needing to rapidly scale up? Are you unclear as to what assistance you can get for helping you think through all aspects of scaling up?... I have been advised by my clients and Mentees that they need a combination of the following consultant skills: Management Consulting -- to be able to "zoom out" to understand the "big picture of the business" and to be able to "zoom in" to understand the details, e.g. Dependencies between actions. Portfolio Management -- to be able to understand the value and risks of the various programs and projects that are competing for attention. Master Agile/Scrum Project Management -- to provide teams with clarity of prioritised actions and delivered business value. Exponential Organisation specialist -- to appreciate and leverage of the ExO framework to plan and build a rapidly growing and scaling organisation. Agree? Variations on this? Check out my blog at: https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/blog/

01.01.2022 #apple You might think I am an Apple-phile but just am intrigued by them making new markets. To think that they can supplant the expensive Swiss watch market in a few years is truly intriguing!... Check out my blog on other business topics: https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/blog/

01.01.2022 #fintech Statista: "According to a recently published report by CB Insight, Grab is the highest-funded fintech startup (currently private, up-and-coming company) in the world. The Singaporean business is also a ride hailing and food delivery provider, partly explaining why the startup’s funding is so far ahead of its fintech peers. Grab started out by offering taxi bookings and only later began its foray into fintech by offering cellphone and online payments via a mobile wall...et. GrabPay also offers fund transfers, enabling users to split ride or food bills or pay for family members. The service is also used to send remittances, pay in stores and gives users access to deals and rewards points. Among the 250 top fintech startups listed by CB Insights, 20 are headquartered in India and 10 more elsewhere in Asia. Only three hail from China, which might signal a saturation of the market which boasts several publicly listed fintech payment providers and other fintech players. The high concentration of fintech startups in India could mean the country is next in line for a fintech revolution." For other interesting business blog posts, please see: https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/blog

31.12.2021 #bitcoin My takeaway: The electricity consumption of cryptocurrency is outstanding -- the one plus is that it could be great for the economies arctic-related countries to host data centres! Statista: "Among other things, Bitcoin has been criticized for price volatility, use in illegal transactions and thefts from exchanges. It has also proven highly controversial for the sheer amount of energy it requires. The University of Cambridge maintains an online tool that estimates ...the level of electricity the crypto-currency network uses and compares it with other entities. It estimates that Bitcoin uses 143 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricty per year, more than many countries and around 0.65 percent of worldwide electricity consumption. .. In fact, if Bitcoin was a country, it would be the 27th most-energy-demanding nation on earth. All of that thirst for electricity comes from the computing power needed for mining, which is a process where machines are connected to the network to verify transactions, which involves puzzle-solving. Some Bitcoin miners have even relocated to places like Iceland to reduce costs as geothermal energy is abundant there while cold Arctic air helps with cooling." https:/www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/

21.12.2021 #cryptocurrency My takeaway is: There is a settling out of the preliminary winners in the cryptocurrency platforms. Statista: "Dogecoin may have been grabbing the headlines over the past few weeks, but it's not just been an astonishing year of growth for what started out as a meme - 2021 is fast turning into the year of the cryptocurrency.... As this infographic shows, when comparing the 7-day average price with CoinDesk data from the end of 2020 to the most recent period in 2021, there has so far been very strong growth in value for a number of the higher profile cryptocurrencies. There have of course been fluctuations between January and May, some quite wild, but the overall trend for these coins, and plenty of others too, has been firmly upwards. Despite having the lowest value of all currencies featured here, those aforementioned headlines have certainly been justified by astonishing growth of 7,555 percent up to May 4. Maker, currently valued at around $6,000 compared to Dogecoin's 55 cents, has seen a price increase of 760 percent having hovered below the $600 mark up to the end of last year." http://ow.ly/eF9q50EFOoT

02.12.2021 #pivot #globalmarkets My takeaway is that even big companies are needing to reinvent themselves and re-position themselves -- particularly across global markets. Statista: "The Walt Disney Company announced on Wednesday that it will close at least 60 of its retail stores in North America this year, as it plans to significantly reduce its brick-and-mortar footprint and focus on e-commerce going forward.... Over the past few years, we’ve been focused on meeting consumers where they are already spending their time, such as the expansion of Disney store shop-in-shops around the world. We now plan to create a more flexible, interconnected e-commerce experience that gives consumers easy access to unique, high-quality products across all our franchises, Stephanie Young, president of Consumer Products, Games and Publishing at Disney said in the company’s announcement of the move. As the following chart shows, Disney has been downsizing its retail footprint for years, with the latest announcement marking the sharpest cut to date. The media and entertainment giant currently operates more than 300 Disney Stores in North America, Europe, Japan and China, down from around 360 stores in 2010. The latest announcement will bring that total below 250, and the company did not comment on how many jobs would be cut as a consequence. In the fiscal year ended October 3, 2020, Disney’s revenue from retail and merchandise licensing amounted to $4.2 billion from a total of $65.4 billion." https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/

30.11.2021 My takeaway: Asia Pac is leaping forward in mobile internet capability! Statista: "While mobile internet connections on 4G networks are quick enough for most average users, enabling them to stream HD video or download music, apps and games on the go, 5G, the next evolution of wireless networks, has already arrived and is expected to take off this year. While Samsung and several other smartphone makers released their first 5G handsets in 2019, Apple jumped on the 5G bandwage...n in the fall of 2020, bringing the new standard to the entire iPhone 12 product line. Having sold more smartphones in the last three months of 2020 than any company ever before in a single quarter, Apple's 5G debut definitely provided a major boost to the new technology. According to estimates from Ericsson’s latest Mobility Report, the number of 5G smartphone subscriptions worldwide will rise to 600 million by the end of this year, almost tripling from the 2020 total. By 2022, 5G subscriptions will become the de-facto standard, surpassing the one-billion mark according to Ericsson's estimates." http://ow.ly/NMk850DNccZ

28.11.2021 #covid My takeaway: Glad to see that the US is regaining a positive role in global concerns. Statista: "In a major reveral of his predecessor's isolationist America First policy, President Biden has pledged $4 billion to the COVAX initiative. Led by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and the World Health Organization, COVAX aims to provide equitable Covid-19 vaccine access for 92 low/middle income governments through donations. Biden announced the contribution during a virtual... summit with G7 leaders on Friday and the move is reportedly also aimed at mobilizing U.S. partners to increase their involvement in the initative. The U.S. has pledged $2 billion over the coming days with $500 million set to be included when initial doses get delivered and other vaccine pledges are fulfilled. Another $2 billion will be donated over the next two years. Trump was notable in taking the U.S. out of the WHO and signing an executive order to prioritize vaccines for Americans rather than other countries. Biden's approach is different, involving a return to the WHO and participation in COVAX, though senior officials have still made it clear the U.S. will only start donating vaccines to other countries once enough supply has been secured to cover all Americans. While U.S. investment in COVAX will go some way towards helping poorer countries, administraton officials said the move will benefit Americans as it will reduce the risk of dangerous Covid-19 mutations developing that could prolong the pandemic. Before U.S. involvement, the UK was the biggest COVAX donor with over $730 million pledged as of December 2020, according to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. It has now slipped down to third position with Germany moving into second with around $1 billion of funding pledged. Governments are not the only COVAX donors and the intiative has received funding from an array of foundations, corporations and organizations. " https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/

22.11.2021 #poweroutages My takeaway: Some US State leaders haven't thought through their energy strategy -- and now are distracting on non-issues. Unfortunate politician arrogance -- to the detriment of real discussion, planning and implementation. Statista: "A deadly winter storm has led to an unprecedented level of snowfall and record-breaking low temperatures that have paralyzed much of Texas. The unusual weather conditions were caused by changes in the jetstream that ushered in A...rctic air across much of the United States. That saw temperatures in Dallas sink lower than in Anchorage, Alaska, with the city also receiving seven inches of the snow. It was the first time Dallas had more than one inch of the stuff in six years The extreme weather conditions caused chaos in the state's power grid with wind turbines shut down due to ice and water necessary for keeping many coal and gas-fired power plants freezing, resulting in some of them going offline. One nuclear unit in southern Texas was also reportedly offline, as was America's largest oil refinery which shut down on Monday. 60 percent of homes in Texas require electricity for heating and the excess demand led to millions of people experiencing power cuts. Website http://ow.ly/EvoO50DD5s8 tracks U.S. blackouts and its data shows that 4,325,000 customers in Texas were cut off when the situation reached its peak a 10:22:28 AM EST yesterday. The storm also impacted other states but as this infographic shows, the impact on electricity was not as severe. Texas also struggled as it operates its own independent power grid, meaning it did not have the ability to import extra energy to compensate for its losses. As of Tuesday evening, at least three million people in Texas were still in the dark." https://www.kenbusinessdoctor.com/

04.11.2021 #stockmarket #sharemarket #bubble My (simple) takeaway: Be careful!! Statista: "The U.S. stock market continued its latest upward trend on Monday, as hopes for a quick decision on President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus plan carried all major indices to all-time highs. As many observers fear a growing disconnect between markets and reality, our first chart looks at the "Buffet indicator", which suggests we're in bubble territory. "... http://ow.ly/kP1u50Dw1k4

30.10.2021 #dams #infrastructure My takeaway is that important infrastructure globally has been ignored -- and unfortunately is a ticking time bomb. Statista: "Once a large dam has reached the age of 50 years, whoever is in charge of its maintenance should be especially alert to the upkeep challenges and dangers an old dam can create. According to a new report by the U.N. Institute for Water, Environment and Health, dam keepers in the UK and Japan are most likely to be worried about the... age of their water storage infrastructure. In both countries, average dam age has surpassed 100 years, double of what the report calls the alert age for large dams, defined as those with a height of at least 15 meters or a capacity of at least 3 million cubic meters (for dams between 5 and 15 meters high). At the moment, the age of dams is reaching a critical point in many countries at the same time. The reason for this is the dam-building frenzy which occurred in the middle of the 20th century. In the late 1950s as well as in the 1970s, upwards of 1,100 dams were constructed every year. Since 1990, that number has dropped below 500 and below 300 since the year 2000. The U.N. experts expect the number of new dam projects to remain low in the future. " http://ow.ly/mNIO50DlhsY

20.10.2021 #cannabis #growthcompanies My takeaway is that this is a big growth industry - that "won't go up in smoke" and "where there is smoke, there is fire"y growth! Statista: "After the House passed the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act in December, paving the way for federal decriminalization of cannabis, and Democrats took control of the Senate in the Georgia runoffs, it looks like 2021 could be a big year for the cannabis industry. According to the N...ational Conference of State Legislatures, 15 states and 3 territories have legalized adult-use of cannabis or stated their intent to do so, while another 36 states and 4 territories have greenlit the substance for medicinal use. Despite the strides made towards legalization of marijuana in recent years, the industry behind it has struggled to meet investors’ high expectations, as profitability remains a distant dream for many cannabis companies. The mood within the industry has lightened significantly since the election in November though, with the announcement of the Tilray-Aphria merger further fueling a year-end rally for pot stocks. As the following chart shows, 2021 is off to a good start for cannabis stocks, with each of the five companies considered here posting significant gains in the first two trading weeks of the year. Tilray and Aphria have led the cannabis rally ahead of their merger, which is expected to be completed in Q2 2021." http://ow.ly/dFM250DcQrV

13.10.2021 #crimestatistics #globalcomparisons My takeaway is that this is not an easy problem -- but using a global context, there are things that can be done - with a holistic solution of jobs, industrial policy focusing on the right industries, broad upskilling, neighbourhood activities, and a fair judicial system. Statista: "In late December the Associated Press reported that 2020 was on track to become the deadliest year in U.S. history with the total number of deaths forecast to ...rise 15 percent compared to 2019, primarily due to the coronavirus pandemic. There were also several other smaller contributory factors, however, including higher death tolls from heart & circulatory diseases as well as from the country's opioid crisis. The U.S. also experienced its most violent year in decades with an unprecedented rise in homicides. The Gun Violence Archive reported that more than 19,000 people died in shootings or firearm-related incidents in 2020, the highest figure in over two decades. Statista: "New Orleans-based crime analyst Jeff Asher took a closer look at the number of murders in 57 major American cities and he found that the number of offenses grew in 51 of them. He only focused on agencies where data was available and most of them had figures through November or December of 2020. Growth in violent crime varied by city with Seattle seeing a 74 percent spike in homicides between 2019 and 2020 while Chicago and Boston saw their offenses grow 55.5 percent and 54 percent, respectively. Elsewhere, Washington D.C. and Las Vegas saw growth in their murder offences, albeit at a slower pace of less than 20 percent." http://ow.ly/ozdc50D7WNP