Things Have Changed

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Why Batteries Are Extremely Important for the Renewable Energy Transition?

Aug 29, 2022 28 min

Send us Fan Mail We're revisiting some of our favorite deep dives with industry experts from past episodes. A global transition to clean energy is underway. What technologies will be essential to this zero emission future? Well, Battery costs have decreased significantly - Lithium battery costs have fallen by a STAGGERING 98% in 3 decades! All the growth and investments in renewable electricity are starting to add up, and now the battery industry is moving at a breathtaking pace. We speak to Nicholas Yiu and Yen Yeh, two of the most credible voices within the climate tech space. Recently, Nick and Yen, through their organizations Intercalation and BatteryBits (Volta Foundation) have published the 2021 Battery Report, which is an accessible overview of the latest battery research, policy and business landscape. It's a phenomenal piece of work from our brilliant guests, and we at Things Have Changed, highly recommend it. Support the show Things Have Changed

We Just Turned 2! So Do You Want a Free Pumpkin Spice Latte?

Aug 15, 2022 1 min

Send us Fan Mail THC Turns 2 🎉🎉🎉 Hey THC listeners! Its been 2 years since we started Things Have Changed, and we just wanted to take this time to say thank you for all the love and support! We wanted y’all to be more involved with how we create our weekly show, and so, starting from today, we’re going to put out a 1-month challenge until September 15th for you to give us feedback on a couple things: New Podcast IdeasLike & Dislike about the showWe’re going to choose the first 100 submissions on our website on the “Contact Us” button and winners will get $5 Starbucks gift card - and a chance for a 1 on 1 feedback session with your favourite hosts! We’re so excited to hear from you and in the meantime Stay Curious! Support the show Things Have Changed

How TikTok Is Eating up All of Social Media

Aug 8, 2022 20 min

Send us Fan Mail Since the start of the pandemic, there has been one app that has taken over Social Media. Tiktok is the most downloaded app in the App store & despite being the new kid on the block, the Chinese company is breaking records that the incumbents could only dream of. From launch to a billion users, Tiktok only took half the time that Facebook did to get there. It’s insane! The company has proven that it can grab attention like no other social media company - But can it also win the advertising dollars that make Facebook and Instagram the 100 billion dollar behemoths they are today? 3 Ways Tiktok is Changing the Business Model in America: Advertising: inviting brands to work with creators to make potentially viral content, such as skateboarders swigging Ocean Spray juice to the sound of Fleetwood Mac.E-Commerce: TikTok now enables viewers to buy goods directly by tapping a shopping tab on a video. It has teamed up with Shopify, an e-commerce platform, to bring more merchants to the siteSocial Commerce (Way bigger in China - Douyin kills this game)Ticketmaster and Tiktok partnerCreator Economy Growth: Tiktok’s seven highest-paid stars earned a total of $55.5M from work on and off the platform last year (Triple the sum it counted in 2020). This boosts incentives to create fresh content!Today, on Things Have Changed - we’re going to explore how TikTok has become the TV for Gen Z and as a result eating the rest of social media. Stay Tuned! Important Links: Kids Spending More on Tiktok than YouTubeTikTok Grabs More Ad Dollars, as Marketers Look to Attract Gen Z and MillennialsPersonal Finance is a Hit on TiktokTiktoks Rapid Growth Shows the Potency of VideoTiktok Isn’t Silly It’s SeriousSocial Media Briefing - The Economist (All-Conquering Quaver)Tiktok Bursts the ZuckerbubbleTiktok Overtaking Facebook in Influencer Marketing Spend this Year, Youtube by 2024Support the show Things Have Changed

From Feast to Famine: Why Tech Is Preparing For Hiring Freezes And Layoffs

Aug 1, 2022 25 min

Send us Fan Mail With a historically tight labor market, why are some tech companies laying people off? With Inflation not slowing down and the economy showing signs of a possible recession, companies are preparing for the worst. Layoffs are sweeping across American businesses, specifically in growth companies in tech in 2022. Shopify, Netflix, Peloton, Tiktok, Robinhood, and Coinbase are only some of the companies that are starting to lay off their employees. But with our most recent episode, we just learned that there was still A LOT of tightness in the labor market - citing labor shortages - so why would these companies lay anyone off? Well, in this episode of Things Have Changed Podcast, we’re going to explore why tech companies are feeling the burn. Important Links: Millions of Americans Regret the Great ResignationBig Tech Won the PandemicTech’s Red-Hot Hiring Spree Shows Signs of CoolingIs Big Techs Red Hot Jobs Market about to Cool?Bird is laying off 23% of staffNetflix lays off 300 more people — almost 3% of its staffUS Layoffs, Hiring Freezes Are Tip of Labor Market SlowdownJPMorgan Initiates Mass Layoffs and Reorganizing, 1,000 Employees Possibly AffectedRivian Plans Hundreds of Job Cuts Following Surge in StaffingAmazon has 100,000 less workersAmazon increased layoffsNasdaq historic Wipeout - a Tech StorySupport the show Things Have Changed

Why Are Thousands of Flights Being Cancelled Right Now?

Jul 25, 2022 25 min

Send us Fan Mail Airlines globally have cancelled hundreds of flights, citing labor shortages. They blame COVID-19, uncertainty, and the tight labor market for leading causes for flight cancellations and delays. The result has been long queues at airports, lost luggage, long layovers, and loads of disappointment. It’s gotten so BAD that Heathrow airport, historically Europe’s BUSIEST airport, is now telling airlines to STOP SELLING SUMMER tickets There are multiple reasons fueling the disruptions from bad weather to the economic impact of the war in Ukraine, but labor shortages have been cited as a common reason. So what is this tight labor market, how is it affecting different industries and how is it fueling straight up chaos in airports globally. Some Helpful Links: US Jobless Claims Were Little Changed Near a 5-Month HighThe potential dark side of a white hot labor market‘Not Giving Up’: Job Data Show Just How Tight US Labor Really IsHow to Manage the Great ResignationThe Feds Flawed Plan to Avoid a RecessionUS Layoffs Hiring Freezes Are Tip for Market SlowdownLabor Crunch Spurs Revenue Losses, Canceled Projects in CanadaWhy the Rich World is Facing a Hiring ProblemAre Labor Markets in the Rich World too Tight?Evidence for the Great Resignation is on Thin GroundSupport the show Things Have Changed

Summer Break.. See You Soon!

Jul 11, 2022 1 min

Send us Fan Mail Hey THC Listeners! Jed and Shikher will be taking a super short summer break to build the next pipeline of guests for Things Have Changed. Stay tuned on our coverage of the labor market on July 25th! As always here at THC, STAY CURIOUS! Support the show Things Have Changed

Why Are So Many Leaving Their Jobs Right Now?

Jul 4, 2022 17 min

Send us Fan Mail According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 47 million Americans quit their jobs in 2021. So.. During the Pandemic, the definition of “work” drastically changed. Millions of Americans learned how to work from home and even more were forced to risk their lives, being front-line workers. This event pushed many to re-think what they want from work… many factors impacted this decision from safety, working from home, higher wages and better care form the companies they worked for. And the huge demand for workers meant for the first time in a long time workers had the power! So… they left! Welcome to our latest season on THC, where we talk jobs jobs jobs! Specifically the big trends within the global labor markets since COVID. From the Great resignation, to the tight labor markets today, where employers in select industries are still scrambling to find workers! Tune in for our deep dive Some Helpful Links: The Great Resignation Didn’t Start with the PandemicWhy the Rich World is Facing a Hiring ProblemAre Labor Markets in the Rich World too Tight?Evidence for the Great Resignation is on Thin GroundSupport the show Things Have Changed

How to be More Efficient at Imposing Sanctions with Professor Seth Benzell

Jun 27, 2022 13 min

Send us Fan Mail 32 years ago, Mcdonalds opened a restaurant in Moscow. Many people interpretted it as a soft integration to the west. In 1990, 30,000 people lined up for the opening at Pushkin Square, for many, it was the first taste of western consumerism. Since then, the Russian people have fallen in love with the Big Mac and the chain has grown all over the country. But today, the American fast-food giant has pulled out of Russia entirely. McDonalds closed over 800 stores in the country and ended up selling their productive resources to the Russians. The new owner replaced the symbolic golden arches with a new brand, "Vkusno & tochka", which translates to "Tasty & That's it". But McDonalds isn’t the only one. So many other companies are leaving Russia! From the Auto industry (Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen AG), to the Finance industry (Goldman Sachs, Visa, American Express, and Paypal), companies are either suspending operations or limiting their services in the country of 146 million people - check out this article to see who's made drastic measures. The sanctions of the west are definitely taking effect and the Russian economy is drastically changing… But are the changes what the west was aiming for? Last episode, we talked about what Sanctions are and Professor Seth Benzells work around studying their effects. In this episode, we’re going to hear the professors thoughts about where policy makers might want to spend more time. Tune in to learn about which Moscow factory, that used to employ 10,000 people, is being sold to the Russian government for $1 rouble.. Some Helpful Links: Simulating Russias and Other Large Economies' Challenging and Interconnected TransitionsWhat Companies have Pulled Back from RussiaWhat to KNow as U.S., Allies Put Sanctions on RussiaHow New Sanctions Could Cripple Russias EconomyProfessor Seth Benzells ResearchSupport the show Things Have Changed

How Effective are Western Sanctions with Professor Seth Benzell

Jun 20, 2022 15 min

Send us Fan Mail As one of the worlds most televised conflict rages on in Ukraine, western countries, not directly involved, look to utilize a weapon that is forged by economists.. The sanctions imposed on Russia are some of the largest and far-reaching the world has ever seen.. with western countries and international corporations completely cutting ties with the once major emerging economy.. But is this economic weapon working? Thanks to the pandemic, Sanctions can exacerbate the issues that already trouble the global supply chains, ultimately contributing to inflation… Here at Things Have Changed, we’ve sat down with our favorite economist, Professor Seth Benzell, who has done some research on assessing how effective western sanctions would be on the Russian economy. One important note is that Seth worked on this with a team of Russian economists at the Gaidar institute, a major center of economic research and training in Russia. On this first episode, we talked about why would sanctions be prescribed and how exactly this would play out in the Russian economy. For our next episode, we chat more about some ideas that Seth has about where the sanctions should be targeted! To read about it today, check out the article he posted on Warontherocks.com titled “To really hurt Russia’s economy, Target Investment and Human Capital, not gas”. Helpful Links: Western Sanctions are Nothing like the World has SeenWestern Businesses Pulling OutHow is the Russian Economy Doing?Anonymous Tipsters and Russian IntelligenceWhen Central Banks Face SanctionsHow New Sanctions Could Cripple Russias EconomyWater-shed Moment in Global Economic History Support the show Things Have Changed

Is the Global Housing Market Heading for a Downturn?

Jun 13, 2022 20 min

Send us Fan Mail The Great Deceleration in housing might just be bigger than a seasonal cooldown. The economic shock of higher mortgage rates means borrowers are getting stretched thin to a degree unseen since 2006. And home shoppers in April and May are finally backing away from record home prices. On Thursday, Freddie Mac deputy chief economist Len Kiefer tweeted about what this downward shift means: "The U.S. housing market is at the beginning stages of the most significant contraction in activity since 2006." So today on THC, we’re going to talk about the problem of affordability in many hot markets, from Phoenix, Charlotte to Toronto, Canada and what that impact could be. Important Links: Even Deep-Pocketed Buyers Are Starting to Back Away From the U.S. Housing MarketThe housing market is entering the ‘most significant contraction in activity since 2006,’ says Freddie Mac economistToronto Home Prices Slide for Third Month on Higher RatesMortgage Rates Hit 5.27%, Highest Level Since 2009Support the show Things Have Changed

How Can We Solve the Nation’s Affordable Housing Crisis?

Jun 6, 2022 28 min

Send us Fan Mail Nearly three-quarters of Americans say owning a home is a higher measure of achievement than having a successful career, raising a family or earning a college degree, according to a new survey. Record high housing prices and rising mortgage rates are causing the housing market to cool. For the 3rd straight month, sales have decreased at the slowest pace since the earlier months of the pandemic. Despite the recent cooling, Home prices still rose more than 20% Year-Over-Year, which is the biggest surge in 35 years.. and you know our incomes haven’t risen that much. What’s even more interesting is that Spring, or the last season, usually sees the majority of home sales on average during the year, typically about 40% of home sales happen in Spring time happen between March and June! In our last episode, we covered how it’s getting really hard to buy homes, especially for first-time home buyers… Although the market is cooling and we’re seeing some price decreases, the prospect of buying a home is still a distant dream for many of us. There is less housing available for rent and sale than at any time in 30 years, and things are only getting worse. This undersupply is concentrated in the lower end of the market, and as a result homelessness has become one of the big problems in booming cities. Some Helpful Links: Homelessness in New York and the SourceSqualor Behind the Golden GateOvercoming the Nation’s Daunting Housing Supply ShortageReal Estate AffordabilityTrudeau to outlaw Foreign Home Buyers in CanadaSupport the show Things Have Changed

Should I Buy a House in 2022?

May 30, 2022 24 min

Send us Fan Mail At the closer end of 2021, inflation started to scare the average person. Prices getting higher was something that not only worries the average consumer, but the Federal Reserve. The exist mainly to control this inflation - and in 2022, they realized they had to do their job. The Federal Reserve started raising interest rates at a fast pace. If you’ve been listening to THC, you know that this means that borrowing money will get more expensive. Credit cards interest rates would get more expensive, auto loans would have higher interest rates, and mortgages would be harder to afford. That’s exactly what happened. t’s been long-understood that Owning a Home Is the American Dream. Well for us millennial it’s kind of becoming a distant dream.. Scratch that its actually become a nightmare! The average home prices in America have been on a tear! Buying a House Has Never Been More Difficult. Since the pandemic Average home prices have increased by 33%! If high prices weren’t enough, mortgage rates which reached record lows at the start of 2021, are now rising at their fastest pace in decades. So what can first time home buyers do? Today, on Things Have Changed, we’re going to talk about the Housing Market - the different factors that are impacting it and could there be a likelihood of another 2008 Housing Market crash?? Tune in! Some cool reads: Housing in America has become much harder to affordHousing Markets Exposed to Interest Rate HIkesAmerican Property Market Looking Bubbly4 Ways to Get Ahead in These TimesSupport the show Things Have Changed

How Rising Rent Prices Will Displace Millions of Americans

May 23, 2022 26 min

Send us Fan Mail As cities come back to life with the influx of people returning from their COVID getaways, the rise of rent prices are hurting us all. Some cities are even seeing 60% rent increases year-over-year. Just when we thought inflation was going to come under control with the Fed rising rates, we might have been too optimistic. Rent or housing on average is the largest expense an American has on a monthly basis. Even an incremental rise in housing expenses could mean displacement or a serious re-designing of your overall budget. On Things Have Changed Podcast, we’re going to do a series related to housing - one of your largest financial burdens on a monthly basis. On today’s episode, we’re going to talk about how Rent could displace millions of Americans. According to rent.com, this is where rents are rising: 2 Bedroom Apartments Chandler, AZ (+68.6 percent)Miami, FL (+59 percent)Portland, OR (+51.8 percent)Austin, TX (+50 percent)Philadelphia, PA (+47.8 percent)Tacoma, WA (+46.6 percent)Salt Lake City, UT (+46.5 percent)Nashville, TN (+45.4 percent)Little Rock, AR (+45.2 percent)Jersey City, NJ (+41.2 percent)These are the Americans cities that have gotten cheaper, according to rent.com: 2 Bedrrom Apartments Shreveport, LA (-18.7 percent)Wichita, KS (-18 percent)Toledo, OH (-16.4 percent)Indianapolis, IN (-12.1 percent)Scottsdale, AZ (-11.5 percent)Anaheim, CA (-10.7 percent)Arlington, TX (-10.5 percent)Cleveland, OH (-10.5 percent)Kansas City, MO (-9.1 percent)New Orleans, LA (-8.3 percent) Some interesting stories: Dallas Rent Prices RiseRent Averages in the USASupport the show Things Have Changed

Why Universal Basic Income Can Help Battle Inequality With Prof. Seth Benzell

May 16, 2022 31 min

Send us Fan Mail In our previous episode, we talked to Dr. Seth Benzell about How the Pandemic Changed Global Labor Markets and in this episode, we talk about the work he's done to find a solution to the age-old issue of rising automation. The automation scare is not new. Since the luddites in the 19th century, we've heard the laborers complain about automation. In fact, it is the new standard in todays world. We all hear about the benefits of automation but we are still trying to understand and remediate the negative externalities. If you've listened to Things Have Changed before, you know Dr. Seth Benzell spends his time studying the digital economy, the platforms that have succeeded in it, and how it's affected our economy as a whole. In this episode, he helps us understand how he's gotten to the two solutions that he mentions in his paper on "Simulating Endogenous Global Automation". Seth walks us through two of his considerations for policy that could possibly change the direction away from increased wage inequality: Mandating automation for regions that would otherwise not automateUniversal Basic Income Check out our previous episodes with Dr. Seth Benzell on the links below: How Tech Created a Winner-Take-All Economy – with Seth BenzellHow the Pandemic Has Changed Global Labor Markets with Dr. Seth BenzellHere is a link to Dr. Seth Benzells work: Dr. Seth Benzell WebsiteEfficiency of U.S. Public Space UtilizationSupport the show Things Have Changed

How the Pandemic Has Changed Global Labor Markets with Prof. Seth Benzell

May 9, 2022 29 min

Send us Fan Mail Automation has been a recurring theme in corporations quest to improve their bottom line and stay competitive. So what has changed post the pandemic? Today we have Dr. Seth Benzell returning on Things Have Changed after 2 long years, and he's here to help us understand the incredible trends shaping the economy. Dr Seth is a Digital Economist, an Assistant Professor at Chapman University, Argyros School of Business and Economics, Fellow at the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy as well as the Stanford Digital Economy Lab. Dr. Seth shares with us some of the biggest trends that has happened in the last 2 years, including the roles of automation and technological change and how that impacts who makes money in the economy, the great resignation, and the rise of tech superstars! For a bit more background into our fascinating conversation with Seth, check out his first chat with the crew in 2020: How Tech Created a Winner-Take-All Economy – with Seth BenzellHere are some helpful links to Dr. Seth Benzell's latest work: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/risa.13800https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3922494 Support the show Things Have Changed

How Would the Economy of the Metaverse Work?

May 2, 2022 18 min

Send us Fan Mail In the past few weeks, we’ve talked a lot about gaming, the big trends shaping this massive and growing industry, and how Metaverse fits into all of this... We’ve learned why Facebook changed their name to Meta, how Microsoft is uniquely placed to be a titan in this virtual experience through Xbox, and what the current representation of the Metaverse is. But what do we at THC love about it?? There is a growing economy in the ‘verse and we’ve been building our understanding through the stories we share.. You can buy real estate beside snoop dogg, go to a concert with your friends and watch big artists perform, shop for Nike Shoes/NFT’s, and possibly even borrow money through the blockchain. Today on Things Have Changed, we’re going to talk about ‘Metanomics’, or.. The Economics of the Metaverse. Some Real Estate Numbers: Sandbox transactions in 2021 were 65,000 and worth over $350M, according to the Centre for Finance, Technology and Entrepreneurship (CFTE).Decentraland - Tokens.com bought $2.5M land in the fashion districtRepublic Realm - November 2021, paid $4.3M for land in the world of Sandbox (Largest metaverse land purchase today) Support the show Things Have Changed

Could Gaming Lead Us to the Metaverse?

Apr 25, 2022 24 min

Send us Fan Mail In our last episode, we spoke about how big tech was looking at gaming as a growth strategy. And the way to own the future. The metaverse future! With FB, Microsoft and Apple pouring billions into this virtual reality, what does the metaverse look like today? Are there some current gaming ecosystems that could be the foundations of the what the metaverse looks like tomorrow? One of the most promising examples of the metaverse today, Fortnite, held multiple collaborations with artists for concerts in the last 4 years! The Travis Scott Fornite performance had 45 million participants... and they all saw the giant Nike Air Jordans he was wearing.. We dive into one of the most exciting trends in all of tech! Tune in! From the Opportunities in the Metaverse by JP Morgan: Transactions: Every year, $54B is spent on Virtual Goods (Double the amount spent on buying music)Socialize: Approx. 60 Billion messages are sent in RobloxCreate: GDP for Second Life was about $650 million in 2021, with $80M paid to creatorsOwn: Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT’s) have a market cap of $41BSome other helpful links: Metaverse Report by DeloitteThe Metaverse is not a revolution, but an evolution - by PWCOur World Tomorrow - How the metaverse is becoming a massive revenue stream for artistsSupport the show Things Have Changed

Why Mark Zuckerberg Is Betting Facebook’s Future on the Metaverse

Apr 18, 2022 18 min

Send us Fan Mail So... 6 months ago, Facebook did something that very few companies in the world of business has ever done. They changed their entire business philosophy and mission, pivoted a $700 billion dollar company into something that does not exist currently. We are talking about the metaverse and why FB rebranded themselves to META.. In 2021, Meta reportedly spent $10B on Facebook Reality Labs, the metaverse division at Facebook. But why the huge shift? Let's take a look at what happened last year.. Facebook built one of the most amazing money machines the world has ever seen. Then Apple came and threw a wrench in the gears last year.. In Q1 earnings this year, Facebook revealed that changes Apple made that affect how ads work on iOS apps — namely, that it’s now much harder for app-makers and advertisers to track user behavior — will cost it $10 billion in revenue this year.. That's not even it.. Meta lost 1M daily active users in a quarter (wiped out about 20% of its value) - Worst facebook performance on record on the stock market. You could say there was a much needed change to keep people excited about Facebook. While Facebook put the metaverse on center-stage, it is far from the only big tech company investing in the ‘verse. Facebook cannot build the metaverse alone.. and it hasn't been. Microsoft started building it’s own ideas around the metaverse more than 5 years ago... and Azure will play a huge role in its future. Microsoft also happens to be a juggernaut in the gaming space.. which is the foundation of the current ideas of the metaverse. Keep in mind, Microsoft also is in the process of acquiring Activision Blizzard.. But could the big unlock here be gaming? At THC today we break down how we believe metaverse will just be an extension of what gaming is today! Some helpful links: Microsoft shows Meta won’t own the ‘verseWhat does the Metaverse have to do with this dealMicrosoft Activision deal may bring the metaverse to Enterprise TechMicrosof...

Why The Future of Gaming is Subscription

Apr 11, 2022 30 min

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever played games on a console before like the xbox, playstation, nintendo, or even the game boy, you probably remember how expensive it was to have all the games you wanted to play. I mean, each game could cost you over $50! Not to mention then console you needed to have to play it! To give you an idea, an Xbox series X costs half a GRAND today! Well, it’s never been a better time to become a gamer.. with the inception of cloud-based gaming, it proves that there is an active effort to get games across all your consoles, PC’s, or even your mobile phone... As technology gets better for game-streaming, there is a chance that we can have a Netflix-like feel to gaming! From XBox’s game pass, to the playstation’s playstation plus service, gaming is becoming more and more accessible to people who don’t have the cash to buy ALL the games you’ve ever wanted to play. If Microsoft is actually able to purchase Activision Blizzard, the consolidation in the space will hasten. Again, the platforms are buying content that could in turn, lead into another streaming service war - The Netflix vs Amazon Prime vs HBO Max vs Disney Plus Vs Hulu war will also exist in the video gaming space.. Today, on Things Have Changed Podcast, we’re going to talk about how the subscription Economy has officially infiltrated gaming! Some Interesting Reads on Gaming: The Great VideoGame Consolidation - Sony’s real strategy for Bungie PurchaseMicrosoft Deal for Activision Reviewed by FTCPlaystation Vs XboxSony’s ComebackGaming markets breakdownSupport the show Things Have Changed

Spring Breakers! We're Doing Video!

Mar 28, 2022 2 min

Send us Fan Mail The Things Have Changed Podcast Team is exploring video! Support the show Things Have Changed

How Nations Are Driving Towards Newer Battery Energy Economies

Mar 21, 2022 26 min

Send us Fan Mail In 2020, Out of 3.4 million electric cars sold in the world, only 328K was in the US... Compared to 1.39 million in Europe and 1.33M in China. Why is it that the US seems to have only a quarter of the sales than China and Europe? I think the answer lies in effective government incentives. Similar to the GPS, General Satellite technology and the internet revolut ion (Think DARPA), the government can play a vital role in the adoption and the innovation in any ground-breaking technology. Both Europe and China have had a head-start in policy pushing the universality of electrification. The US, however has been taking some steps too! Recently, the Biden administration has invested in building the domestic supply chain for batteries, a critical piece of the EV revolution. Today, on Things Have Changed, we’re going to talk about what governments are doing to clean up supply chains and pursue EV dominance. Some helpful links: Battery Report 2021Battery Value ChainChina’s dominance in Clean Energy may face challenges in Batteries Support the show Things Have Changed

The Dirty Truth about the EV Revolution - A Peak into Battery Pollution and Recycling

Mar 14, 2022 22 min

Send us Fan Mail The growth of EV’s have gotten a lot of people excited... but has gotten environmentalists torn. Think about it... the more important materials for the batteries in your phones, laptops, and more importantly your future electric car, are typically composed of Lithium, Nickel, and even Cobalt. If you have paid attention to how these materials are extracted, it is plagued with issues like pollution and safety. In our last episode, we talked about how major companies turning towards electrification, which means we may have an even bigger problem in the future... but as we’ve learned from our research, there are many entrepreneurs working on “Cleaning up” the supply chains and also working towards “Closed-loop” recycling system - In a nutshell, closed loop recycling is the process where a product is used, recycled, and then made into a new product - which reduces or eliminates Landfill. Today, on Things Have Changed Podcast, we’re going to talk to you about the issues around the battery supply chain that powers the electric vehicles, and how entrepreneurs are coming together to recycle your batteries! Support the show Things Have Changed

Why Is It So Hard To Make Batteries?

Mar 7, 2022 31 min

Send us Fan Mail As the world leans more into electrification, people learn the importance of energy storage. In our previous episode with battery people, Yen Yeh and Nicholas Yiu, we spoke about electric vehicles and the opportunities in the battery industry. In this episode, we’re gonna dive deeper into the world of batteries by taking a look into the supply chain and why it’s soo problematic. Lithium, Cobalt, and Nickel are some of the components needed to produce batteries and they’re not the easiest materials to get a hold of. Welcome to the Battery Series where we cover puzzling questions around the battery industry from an outsiders perspective... and we’ve learned a few things that might “Shock” you. Support the show Things Have Changed

How Batteries Will Power the Next Technology Era - with Nicholas Yiu and Yen Yeh

Feb 28, 2022 44 min

Send us Fan Mail A global transition to clean energy is underway. What technologies will be essential to this zero emission future? Governments and Companies across the world, have set ambitious goals to achieve net zero emissions in Transportation, Heating and Cooling and even the Industrial sectors by the middle of the 21st century. This move to renewable energy means that the future of batteries is inextricably linked to the overall energy transition. Batteries are a key enabling technology, and in many cases considered the 'glue of the clean-energy economy”. The electrified world requires batteries to store and power the future, and from what we've seen in the past few decades, there's lots to be optimistic about. Battery costs have decreased significantly - Lithium battery costs have fallen by a staggering 98% in three decades. All the growth and investments in renewable electricity are starting to add up, and now the battery industry is moving at a breathtaking pace. Our latest season is one of the most hopeful climate-related deep dives we’ve had in a while. The first episode features Nicholas Yiu and Yen Yeh, two of the most credible voices within the climate tech space. Recently, Nick and Yen, through their organizations Intercalation and BatteryBits (Volta Foundation) have published the 2021 Battery Report, which is an accessible overview of the latest battery research, policy and business landscape. It's a phenomenal piece of work from our brilliant guests, and we at Things Have Changed, highly recommend it. Support the show Things Have Changed

Inflation Is at 40 Year Highs. Why Should It Matter to You?

Feb 21, 2022 20 min

Send us Fan Mail For most of your life, borrowing has been relatively easy. Think about it.. It’s been rather easy to get a credit card, get a loan for a new car, or even to get a mortgage for that house you've been eyeing. But with Inflation running high, the Fed is planning on raising rates in the next year. But how would this affect you? Well this decision is quite big for everyone in the economy - form corporations to individuals. Increasing interest rates would increase your rates in mortgages, student loans, auto loans and especially credit cards. Let's dive into some interesting numbers for mortgages: The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 3.92% its highest level since May 2019 At this rate, people are going to soon find out their houses are “worth” much less than they think.Size of mortgage covered by $3,000 monthly payment: 1 year ago : $730kToday : $640kThis is a significant difference, close to $100k that is not covered by the same payment., and this is down to the increase in rates. Today, on Things Have Changed, we’re going to talk to you about this rising inflation environment and the down stream effects of higher interest rates on your everyday lives! Check out our previous episodes on rising Inflation: Americans Are Getting Fed up With InflationFood, Fuel, Rent... Why is Everything Getting More Expensive?Lumber Prices Have Been Surging. Could Other Commodities Follow Suit?Support the show Things Have Changed

The Gaming Industry Is Now Bigger Than Movies And Music.. Combined

Feb 14, 2022 29 min

Send us Fan Mail Gaming makes a lot of money. Now, Tech wants a piece of it 🎮 In the last decade, the gaming industry has been smashing Hollywood’s earnings out of the park! Just in 2021, the Global “Games Market” had a whopping $180BN in revenue. In fact, Gaming is bigger than Hollywood and the music industry combined. Top games are earning more than the big blockbusters. The top sellers include Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption Two, Fall Out 4 and the Call of Duty franchise. Looking into the numbers... The Grand Theft Auto V game has raked in more than $6BN, according to Marketwatch. Compare that to Avatar, the highest grossing movie ever at $2.8BN. As a result, Video game companies have become hot commodities and @thingshavechangedpod we break down the feeding frenzy that has taken over the gaming industry! Links: Gaming Makes More Money than Movies!Gaming is the new Big Tech battlegroundMicrosoft, Sony acquisitions are just the start of massive video game industry consolidationSupport the show Things Have Changed

How Data Analysis Is Changing The Sport of Badminton

Feb 7, 2022 30 min

Send us Fan Mail There's been a data revolution in sports in the past few years. From the Oakland A’s & Houston Rockets in American sports to European football heavyweights like Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, sports teams have increasingly caught the data bug. They have increasingly sharpened their technology focus, and have begun collecting huge swarths of data to not only analyze past events but also predict with greater accuracy future trends. Today on Things Have Changed, we’re going to talk to Kari Gunnarson, the Founder of Clutch App. Kari was a professional badminton player for over 3 years but he is now on a mission to improve your game - in Badminton, a sport that’s played by 300 million people all over the world. Support the show Things Have Changed

How Companies Are Being Forced to Pay Millions in Ransoms to Hackers

Jan 31, 2022 30 min

Send us Fan Mail Cyber Attacks were shockingly brazen in 2021, targeting everything from hospitals, schools, to critical infrastructure at an alarming rate. As more of the economy goes digital, individuals, businesses, and even governments are increasingly vulnerable to cybercriminals. Major corporations such as Colonial Pipeline and JBS USA had to dole out millions and millions of dollars in ransom payments, after they found their systems hacked and seized. This prompted governments across the globe to step up their approach in fighting computer crimes. As individuals and organizations struggle to safeguard their data, we at THC break down the state of cybercrime over the past few years, the mammoth payments to sophisticated coordinated cyber criminals and also mention a few nifty everyday "cyber hygiene' practices to protect yourselves from these blatant digital crimes. Links: Cybersecurity: How Companies Are One Hack Away From DisasterCybersecurity: How Nation States Are Hacking CorporationsSupport the show Things Have Changed

Why 2021 Was Crypto's Breakthrough Year

Jan 24, 2022 22 min

Send us Fan Mail 2021 was a breakthrough year for crypto assets We’ve seen Bitcoin hit multiple new all-time high prices and more institutional buy-in from major companies. Coinbase went public. Even the U.S. government has increasingly expressed interest in new regulations for cryptocurrency.All the while, people’s interest in crypto has skyrocketed: it’s a hot topic not only among investors but in popular culture too, thanks to everyone from long-standing investors like Elon Musk to that kid from your high school on Facebook.So what changed? “Productization” of crypto Crypto is a much larger ecosystem that goes beyond Bitcoin as a “store of value”, which has been the prevailing crypto-ownership narrative.With decentralized finance or DeFi, for example, a user may transact, borrow, or lend using an interface that is increasingly closer to that of a traditional banking app. The industry is on its way to provide user-friendly products from base layer complexities. We’re seeing real use cases and adoption of blockchain beyond mere price speculation as blockchain technology is used to disrupt multiple industries. What's been fascinating to see is the adoption in Developing countries. In a study done by Blockchain Analysis company Chainalysis, Worldwide Adoption of crypto Jumps Over 880% with huge uptick in Cryptocurrency Usage in Emerging Markets Corporations too made big bets on the blockchain in 2021. Visa moved to allow payment settlements using cryptocurrency with PayPal & Venmo following suit. But the big news that sent shockwaves across the traditional and crypto markets was when Elon Musk’s Tesla Motors, revealed that it had allocated a sizable portion, $1.5-billion, of its balance sheet to Bitcoin. If you want to understand the crypto industry a little more, our chats with Hossein Azari, Founder & CEO of DeFi company CMORQ, is a great first step: How Crypto-Based DeFi Will Disrupt the Financial Industry - with Hossein AzariHow Blockchain Technology Can Ena...

Food, Fuel, Rent... Why is Everything Getting More Expensive?

Jan 17, 2022 23 min

Send us Fan Mail Throughout 2021, a lot has changed. But one thing has been constant: Inflation. As COVID still continues to take a toll on global supply chains, we’re also seeing the most significant changes in prices across multiple industries all of last year. Just in THC alone, we talked about everything from house prices hitting all-time highs to grocery bills skyrocketing. In December, a 7% rise in annual inflation capped a year of soaring prices—the fastest pace in nearly 40 years. Let's dive into the numbers here: Fuel/Energy/GasGasoline prices, over a 12 month period rose by about 50%Europe saw a steep increase, where over the course of the year, wholesale gas prices rose by more than 400%, breaking every previous peacetime record. Now this was largely due to the reliance of Europe to Russia AutosPrices of used cars and trucks soared 37.3% in December from a year earlier.A shortage of semiconductor chips and Covid-19-related manufacturing shutdowns crimped auto production, winnowing the supply of new autos.Home & RentRent is up a staggering 17.8% over the last year (largest annual increase ever)Home prices up 19% (also largest annual increase ever). So true 'inflation' rate is much higher than 7%. And we can point the finger to the Fed here, as house prices are actually inflated by the Fed purchasing mortgages and other assets, and the Fed's money, making its way through the economy.As prices rise, affordability concerns arise across the globe. In the episode the THC crew are diving into where exactly prices have been rising and how each one of us can avoid paying a premium on everything! Our Previous Inflation Coverage that goes into greater detail: Lumber Prices Have Been Surging. Could Other Commodities Follow Suit?Should We Brace for Upcoming Inflation?Getting Fed up With InflationThink Twice Before Buying a New Home This YearSupport the show Things Have Changed

2021 Was a Huge Year for Restaurants, Space Exploration, and the Cloud

Jan 10, 2022 30 min

Send us Fan Mail A lot of our favorite stories from 2021 revolve around the fact that the continued public health crisis have pushed technology companies, consumers, and governments to innovate immensely. In Part 1 of our 2021 Tech Recap, we walk through the big changes that took place in three fields - specifically food & restaurants, the space industry, and cloud computing. With the food and beverage space, what interested us was how consumer preferences for ‘take out’ have resulted in a burgeoning online ordering culture across the globe. We deep dived into the trend of Ghost Kitchens or Cloud Kitchens earlier in the year, and data suggests that the demand for these online only virtual restaurants is only rising. Big brands such as Wendy's, Chipotle, and even social media company TikTok are all planning on moving into this space. Another favorite topic of ours was Space. 2021 could very well go down as one of the biggest turning points in human space flight, as a record number of ordinary citizens left Earth on spacecrafts built by private companies such as Blue Origin, Space X, and Virgin Galactic. Although, this realm of space tourism is currently permitted only to the ultra ultra wealthy, 2021 was extremely promising for space, as it reignited the collective global ambition of establishing humans as a space faring species. The possibility for an average person to roam the cosmos could very well happen in the, hopefully not so far, future! Finally, we could not finish Part 1 of our 2021 Tech Recap without the cloud. The ongoing pandemic and surge in digital activity is making cloud computing the absolute centerpiece of new digital experiences and the numbers are mind boggling! The cloud computing market is projected to reach $474B in 2022, up 16% from 2021. But the increased competition could really set up an interesting next few years in the market with new players constantly chipping of the incumbents. Check out our deep dives in each of the three cove...

Happy Holidays! ☃️

Dec 27, 2021 1 min

Send us Fan Mail Hey! The Things Have Changed Podcast Team is taking a winter break! We hope that you have the time to do the same! We're going to use this time to reflect about the most interesting stories of 2021 so that we can share that with you on January 9th! Stay tuned and stay curious! Much love from the Things Have Changed Podcast team! Support the show Things Have Changed

How to Break Into the Most In-Demand Job in Tech - with Diego Granados

Dec 20, 2021 43 min

Send us Fan Mail These days nearly every company is, or is in the process of becoming, a tech company. Retailers have mobile apps and e-commerce platforms. Grocery stores no longer expect customers to come inside to shop — they can place an order online and pick it up outside the store, or have it delivered right to their homes. Take McDonald's for instance - McD is more than just a burger joint today. It has essentially become a restaurant that offers its customers premium digital experiences such as its easy ordering through the mobile application, loyalty drops and self-order kiosks — thereby transforming the 'fast food experience'. This proliferation of technology in every day businesses has resulted in a huge growth in a specific set of skills that companies highly desire today. The increasing need to bridge the gap between - Customer, Business and Technology, has given rise to “Product Management”, and Product Managers or PMs for short, have quickly become one of the most sought after roles within the Digital Economy. Today, we speak to Diego Granados, Senior AI/ML Product Manager at Microsoft and one of the best Content Creators on Youtube helping people all over the world, break into Product Management. He provides the THC community with some incredible insights into what the role of a Product Manager entails, what gap did he see to create a platform to share his advice and tips to get into the space and the all important question.. Do you need to have a technical background to get into Product Management? Support the show Things Have Changed

Could Dutch Agricultural Technology Feed the World Sustainably?

Dec 13, 2021 32 min

Send us Fan Mail In a world of extreme climate change, the traditional way of producing food is simply not enough to feed the world of the future. As less and less arable land is available, humans have to get creative with how we farm... and the Dutch may have a solution. They've employed a tried and tested methodology to solve their food problems: Greenhouses! The Netherlands is small, and densely populated. In spite of this, it is the second-largest exporter of food by value globally, second only to the United States which has a staggering 270 times its landmass, in part because of the high yield inside greenhouses. Some incredible statistics - Greenhouses can shrink water use by 90%, yield 10 times larger than traditional farms, and cut the need for chemicals by 97%. The Dutch success has spurred entrepreneurs and startups around the globe to leverage this model to satisfy their respective local food needs. In Part 2 of our Farms of the Future series, we dive into greenhouses/glasshouses; the highly productive form of indoor farming. Likewise, we discuss how new technological innovations and integrations into this age old farming technique are increasingly making it a viable and crucial tool in our fight against climate change! Moreover, we talk to a seasoned "Glasshouse Grower" in the Netherlands to learn more about how this industry has changed over the years. Marcel Dings is the owner of Brookberries, a glasshouse that grows strawberries. Co-host Jed Tabernero was able to physically tour these glasshouses last summer. Support the show Things Have Changed

How Blockchain Technology Can Enable Global Financial Inclusion - with Hossein Azari

Dec 6, 2021 33 min

Send us Fan Mail Close to a third of the world's adults are unbanked. Crypto aims to solve this disparity! The mission of the blockchain is not all about making money. It's about providing access and inclusion as well. The blockchain is basically computer code, which works peer to peer to validate transactions, thereby completely bypassing the need for traditional financial institutions i.e. banks. Currently, there are over 1.7 Billion people worldwide who cannot access financial services. They can’t protect their money, gain access to wealth-building tools and services, or effectively plan for their future. The potential widespread use of open decentralized digital finance – financial services delivered via the internet, can greatly reduce this disparity! Just look at some examples of countries like Nigeria, Vietnam, Turkey and Philippines that have recorded high rates of Crypto adoption! For example, almost a third of Nigerians now own some form of cryptocurrency. Nigerians actively use cryptocurrency for buying or selling goods and services and sending money across borders to family and friends. Increased crypto adoption with increased innovation have a real opportunity to democratize traditional financial services. But decentralized finance to many is still very complicated and nascent a technology to master and leverage. Hossein Azari is tapping into this very pain point to build CMORQ, to empower consumers by giving them an easy access to decentralized finance for personal banking. Through the CMORQ app you can exchange, send, and lend crypto to earn passively. In Part 2 of our conversation with Hossein, we talk about the current complexities of crypto, and how CMORQ aims to solve this problem and be the easy onboarding app for millions of customers around the globe! Support the show Things Have Changed

How Crypto-Based DeFi Will Disrupt the Financial Industry - with Hossein Azari

Nov 29, 2021 34 min

Send us Fan Mail Innovation is exciting! And all of us have witnessed new technology entering every major industry, none more so that the traditional financial industry. When was the last time you even went into a bank? Financial transactions such as accessing money, depositing checks or even buying stocks, can all be done on an app remotely at anytime and anyplace! But in spite of all the technological progress, we still have to trust the banks as our middlemen to every single transaction we make. However, with the advent of “cryptocurrencies” and the “Blockchain”, many new technologies are being built, including the emergence of Decentralized Finance or “DeFi”. DeFi seeks to get rid of the middleman completely. A big unlock here is the automation of tasks that traditionally require a third-party intermediary. For example, instead of needing a bank to approve a fund transfer from client to freelancer, the process can happen automatically, thanks to sophisticated code/programs called “smart contracts” to mimic the services in the financial industry! Although decentralized finance is only 5% of the crypto market, it is the fastest growing space within crypto and our guest today, Hossein Azari, Founder & CEO of DEFI company CMORQ, breaks it all down for us at Things Have Changed. Hossein has an incredible rap sheet, a Doctorate in Computer Science from Harvard University, an MBA from Columbia University and in addition to this, he sold his first financial company, Clarity Money, a personal finance company, for $100 Million to Goldman Sachs! So it begs the question.. what is he doing building in crypto? In Part 1 of our incredibly fun chat with Hossein, we explore: What’s specifically wrong with traditional finance, that Hossein is aiming to fix?How Crypto and DeFi can balance the scales by helping the Middle & Lower class join the Money ClassSupport the show Things Have Changed

What Will Farms of the Future Look Like?

Nov 22, 2021 28 min

Send us Fan Mail Food is the very nourishment of life. Climate change, population growth and population density have come to challenge the way we feed ourselves. Let's look at some factors that are affecting the way we grow food: World’s population is in more urbanized areas - 60% of the population lives in citiesFarms Waste Much of World's Water - On average, farms around the world account for 70% of all water that is consumed annually.Demand for locally grown food in urban areas is rising - For environmental reasons, as well as efficiency and ability to have produce that is often damaged during transport (e.g. berries)One of the emerging solutions is vertical farming and its different techniques. In this episode, we talk through how vertical farming can be a viable solution for highly urbanized areas and in the shift to sustainable food growth. The very way we make our food is changing.. what will the farms of the future look like? Tune into this episode to find out! Materials for Content: Vertical farms are growing more and more vegetables in urban areasVertical Farming TechniquesAerofarms ImpactVertical Farms fill a Tall OrderBowery - Why Vertical FarmingSoundclips: Vertical Farming as a solution for Food of the Future - ViceThe rise of vertical farming - VPRO DOKHow Aerofarms' vertical farms grow produce - CBS MorningsFarms Waste Much of World's WaterEach degree of temperature rise, 10% of existing agricultural land will be lostHow much your food has travelled to get to your plateSupport the show Things Have Changed

Will Software Engineers Be Replaced by AI in the Future?

Nov 8, 2021 13 min

Send us Fan Mail Technology has already come after several blue collar jobs of the past, like assembly line workers, cashiers, phone operators, and travel agents, to name a few. But is it possible for AI to automate and replace the job of a software engineer? Most technology we use today involves software - from watching our favorite shows on Netflix, to ordering a Starbucks pickup, to scheduling an early morning Uber to the airport. It should come as no surprise that programming has been the most in-demand job in our digital economy over the past 20 years. But as of late, a fascinating new technology known as GitHub Pilot has been making waves in tech. Copilot is an automatic coding tool, powered by OpenAI, one of the world's leading AI research laboratories and founded by tech titans such as Elon Musk and Sam Altman. It can effectively look at code written by a human programmer and suggest further lines or alternative code, eliminating some of the repetitive labor that goes into software development. Today, we chat with Nick Vincent once again, but this time about the ethics and irony of AI being able to automate programming itself. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest stories in our ever-changing digital economy. @thingshavechangedpod Support the show Things Have Changed

Should Tech Companies Be Paying Us for Our Data? - with Nick Vincent

Nov 1, 2021 32 min

Send us Fan Mail Every minute, 990,000 Tinder profiles are swiped, 156 million emails are sent, and 16 million text messages are sent out. Moreover, Google processes 40,000 searches a second and 1.4 billion people log into Facebook every day. We live in a digital economy, and it runs on data! Just think about it, every time you check your Instagram or Twitter feed, Google a new recipe, or search the web for the latest sneaker drop, you are providing tons of data that companies can then leverage to sell you personalized ads, which equals big money. The digital ad revenue business is a whopping $200 billion industry thanks to our generous data contributions. Our guest today is Nicholas Vincent, a post-doc researcher at Northwestern University, who is studying this very interaction between technology and social behavior. Nick is leading the charge to balance the scales between data providers (us) and data brokers (the personal data industry). Nick puts forward the concept: "What if those organizations profiting from your data had to pay you a share of that earning?" These data dividends have been getting a lot of traction, with presidential candidate Andrew Yang launching the Data Dividend Project, which is pushing tech companies to pay users for their data. Additionally, Nick and colleague Hanlin Li are suggesting new ways to address the power imbalance: 🔸 Data Strikes: withholding or deleting your data so a tech firm cannot use it - Leaving a platform or installing privacy tools. 🔸 Data poisoning: contributing meaningless or harmful data - You play music that you dislike on your device and then walk away, thereby confusing the algorithm. 🔸 Conscious data contribution: Giving data to the competitor, such as switching to a new search engine or transferring photos to a new platform. Support the show Things Have Changed

👋🏽 Hey It's Jed & Shikher.

Aug 30, 2021 1 min

Send us Fan Mail A quick update from THC Support the show Things Have Changed

Designing an App for Billions of Users – with Jean-Marc Denis

Aug 16, 2021 58 min

Send us Fan Mail Communication apps have become vital in our day to day lives with popular mobile messaging like Whatsapp, Signal, and Facebook Messenger connecting users the world over. It's staggering to think that people send over 30 BILLION messages a day, just through messaging clients. Today, on Things Have Changed, we talk to someone who has been at the forefront of product design for many of the technology communication apps that we use today. Jean Marc Denis is Director of Design at Facebook and has been behind many of the incredible features we take for granted today on Messenger, such as reactions and our favorite feature here at THC, the gorgeous Dark Mode. Also, what's special about this conversation is JM's breakdown of his experience building one of the first email clients on the app store, the widely loved Sparrow. The ingenious design and UI brought tech giant knocking and Google acquire Sparrow in 2012. The acqui-hire resulted in Jean-Marcs foray into "Gmail” and the birth of material design, a design language created by Google in 2014. Support the show Things Have Changed

A New Space Race Is Underway! How Did We Even Get Here?

Aug 9, 2021 33 min

Send us Fan Mail Imagine if airplanes weren’t reusable. It costs a staggering $250-300M to buy a Boeing 747. A one way trip to fly anywhere on the planet would cost millions. Yup, it sounds bizarre. That’s exactly the conundrum with space flight. Missions have always been incredibly expensive… but recent breakthroughs in reusability of rockets have drastically reduced the cost of spaceflight and jump started the once stalling space industry. In fact, we actually have private companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin & ULA to thank for here, who in conjunction with NASA have unleashed engineering breakthroughs that have significantly moved the needle. NASA has calculated that commercial launch costs to the International Stations have been reduced by a factor of 4 over the last 20 years. That's not all. For commercial launches to LEO orbit, costs have dropped by a factor of 20, from $54,500/kg for NASA's space shuttles to $2,720/kg and $1,410/kg for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 (2010) and Falcon Heavy (2018). We have finally reached a tipping point. There was no doubt that the physics behind spaceflight could be conquered, but now the economics have been conquered as well, all thanks to reusability. Support the show Things Have Changed

There Are a Record Number of Jobs. Why Is Unemployment Still So High?

Aug 2, 2021 32 min

Send us Fan Mail As we see rich countries slowly open up, there is an interesting economic phenomenon taking place. While Americans are coming out of lockdown, we are seeing a large number of jobs that are not being filled. There are about 9 million job openings in the United States and a little over 9 million people who are considered “unemployed”, and some 6 million people who weren’t actively looking for jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Why then are people not taking the jobs that are open? The pandemic had forced a lot of businesses to close down and a lot of industries to stall, causing an all-time unemployment high of about 16% in April of 2020. The economic impact of the unstable job markets have caused more than a financial strain, but a social, and psychological one. The government has tried to weigh in and to ease this pain through benefits (unemployment insurance, unemployment, added benefits, etc). This could be one of the reasons why people aren’t getting back to work. They get paid more to NOT work. But it isn’t the only reason. As much as people like to conclude that the unemployed are lazy, there is also another element: Fear. With jobs that have lots of in-person contact, like healthcare workers and retail workers, there is a significant risk of getting infected. Around 4 million people mentioned that they aren’t looking for work because they “Don’t want to get COVID”, according to The Economist. The Economist suggests that “allocation of work” is also changing as consumer preferences change post-pandemic, like delivery services versus in-restaurant dining. Join us as we explore how the labor market looks today, which industries are experiencing the labor shortage, and why Americans aren’t going back to work. Support the show Things Have Changed

Do You Feel Weird Throwing Away Your Tech? – with Charles Duffy

Jul 26, 2021 38 min

Send us Fan Mail How many times have you had to throw away your electronics because they were out of date? Or not repairable? The result is a growing mountain of e-waste. E-waste is the world’s fastest-growing trash problem. Humans generate the equivalent of 4,500 Eiffel Towers of electronic waste in a single year. Yet just 20% gets collected and recycled. This has people calling for products that are no longer designed for obsolescence, but designed to last and keep pace with rapid advancements in technology. Our guest today is Charles Duffy, the Founder of Biscuit, a company creating repairable and upgradable wireless battery chargers. He starts with a simple question: "Do you feel weird throwing away your tech?" Biscuit's approach is to design wireless chargers which will be the last chargers you’ll ever need. This novel concept has garnered a huge following and led to almost $100K pledged on Biscuit's Kickstarter campaign. We sat down with Charles and chatted about all things Biscuit as well as designing, manufacturing, marketing a one-and-done product that is as easy on the eyes as it is to our planet. Support the show Things Have Changed

Retail Investors Are Smarter Than You Think – with Lorenzo Ampil

Jul 19, 2021 53 min

Send us Fan Mail Since the start of the pandemic, retail investors have plowed billions into the market, making calls against institutional investors. With free trading at their fingertips and huge online communities like Wall Street Bets wherein they discuss trading ideas and stock picks, many figure they have a shot against the big guys on Wall Street. GameStop, AMC & cryptocurrency Doge are some of the most famous 'meme stocks' and their incredible run ups have made many retail investors millions. This also reveals the appetite for risky moonshot bets & could be just the start of a global phenomenon of retail investing going head to head with Wall Street. Institutional investors typically have access to a wide range of tools and information that puts them at a solid advantage compared to the average retail investor, you. But we sit down with an entrepreneur that thinks things should be different within the investing community. Lorenzo Ampil is the Co-founder and CTO of Hawksight, an open source investment analysis platform that empowers retail investors to quickly build, test, and optimize their own trading strategies. As a retail investor, it can help inform you to make better trading decisions Can retail investors compete in a world riddled with asymmetric information? If you’d like to backtest your own investor strategy, or simply want to learn about the unique advantage that a trading assistant will give you, tune in! Support the show Things Have Changed

Reinventing Early Education Through Smart Toys – with Yuting Su

Jul 12, 2021 41 min

Send us Fan Mail What kind of toys did you have as a child? Was it Snakes & Ladders? Uno? For the Millennials, did you have a Game Boy? Each each year, toys are getting smarter. If you think about how early kids now have access to smartphones, digital learning looks to be a mainstay in early education. Today, we have Yuting Su, CEO and Co-founder of Thinker Tinker, the company behind Octobo, an award-winning educational multi-sensory smart plush robot that enables development in an interactive environment. Through guided storybooks, interactive tokens, and educational apps, Octobo transforms screen time into an immersive experience. Yuting is a Forbes 30 Under 30 in Games, passionate entrepreneur, inventor, and storyteller with a background in digital/physical game design, medical device design, and bioinformatics. She walks us through building her company as a mother, a UX researcher, and former med student. She’s merging physical and digital game play to encourage intuitive learning. The next time you’re thinking about getting a toy for your kids, nephews, nieces, consider taking a look at toys that could actually teach them something while they play. Consider Octobo, an award winning interactive soft robot that helps your child learn through fun and engaging play. Support the show Things Have Changed

Cloud Wars: Amazon AWS vs Microsoft Azure vs Google Cloud

Jul 5, 2021 31 min

Send us Fan Mail It’s happening. AWS is no longer the only cloud heavyweight doing business with the US Government. Azure has recently signed a $10 Billion deal with the DoD. Gartner reports that AWS is still a better product than most competitors, in terms of what they offer and the quality! But some ask if it's fair that the DoD is only doing business with Amazon, a representation of perpetuating the monopoly Amazon is clinging onto. Amazon and Oracle both raised questions about “political interference”. Microsoft’s resurgence has been nothing short of extraordinary! With almost a year and a half of revenues more than 30% of AWS’, has Microsoft officially trumped Amazon in Cloud? And don't forget Google, the small fish in this race aggressively ramping up in high growth markets like India & South East Asia. If you’re curious about how the Cloud Wars are pitting the biggest tech companies against each other, tune in! Support the show Things Have Changed

Cloud Wars: How Cloud Computing Changed Business & Technology Forever

Jun 28, 2021 27 min

Send us Fan Mail IBM, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are all taking the helm for the cloud renaissance. Gartner says that in 2021, spending on public cloud services could go over $330B. All types of industries and even GOVERNMENTS are moving their infrastructure and technology to the cloud. There is tremendous opportunity to build on the infrastructure of the cloud. AWS has been the clear winner for a while now, spanning almost 14 years, the margins and scale are unlike any other business in the world, and those incredible margins are attracting some pretty big fish like Microsoft and Google. If you’ve ever wondered how you’re able to watch Netflix or hail a cab through Lyft with a click of a button, you are basically using the cloud. So ‘What is the cloud?’ Join us as we make sense of the highly-coveted industry! Support the show Things Have Changed

Cybersecurity: How Nation States Are Hacking Corporations

Jun 21, 2021 26 min

Send us Fan Mail Cyber-risk has more than quadrupled since 2002 and tripled since 2013. Cyber-attacks are now common across industries. Just recently, FireEye, one of the top cybersecurity firms in the world today stated that it was hacked by a Nation State. The work-from-home wave has not helped the state of cyber-insecurity. We largely don’t think of our digital security. And it looks like the government hasn’t really been on top of things as well. In our first cybersecurity episode, we talked about the recent ransomware attacks crippling city infrastructure and big conglomerates. Today, we talk about what the industry is turning into, and how nation-states are starting to deploy resources to decrease the likelihood of cyber-attacks. Support the show Things Have Changed

Cybersecurity: How Companies Are One Hack Away From Disaster

Jun 14, 2021 32 min

Send us Fan Mail Even before the COVID-19 Pandemic, the world has been moving towards digitization. We spend almost all our lives on the internet and even the mundane things we interface with like our fridges, coffee makers, cars, and houses can be connected to the network. This marriage between the digital and physical worlds has vastly improved our lives.. But also increasingly poses a security threat. Cyber attacks are becoming increasingly impactful. Cybercriminals can hold your data and systems hostage, threatening your business continuity. Just recently, meat processor JBS paid $11 million in ransom to the hacker group, REvil, as they initiated the cyberattack that shut down JBS packing plants for at least a day! If you want to take a peek into the cybersecurity industry or simply learn how to defend yourself against malicious hackers, tune in! Support the show Things Have Changed