Learning from the FAANGS

Teachings of a Two-Tier Stockmarket

The valuations attributed to the so-called FAANGs (FB, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google) are hard to explain in old language. Their share price performance leaves traditional yardsticks behind. Take Price to Book value (P/B), which measures the worth of their assets compared to their share price. At best, most have only modest book value. 

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Virtually Coping

You are not on your own

Mention Zoom and reactions are mixed. Some immediately list grievances. A few actually like them. Others just roll their eyes.

Online connection raises all sorts of issues but it’s a reality. Remote interaction is here to stay. Last week I examined literature from all sides. There’s a lot of commentary about but here’s a brief summary.

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What's next?

Simple questions for post-pandemic reality 

A business I work with is based in another country. We meet regularly for board meetings, audit reviews, advisory sessions and related catch-ups. That takes roughly three days, bookended by two days of travel to get there and back. In short, a working week. 

Last month we did it all in five hours on a Wednesday.

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Surviving Recessions

Permanently Impaired, or Pit Stop

It's almost 12 years since the world economy went backwards long enough to be labelled a global recession. On average, there's been one every nine years since WWII. You would say that this one was overdue. Even more so at the individual country level, where there's about one every six years or so. If you are 40 years old now, expect three to four more before you retire.

What can we learn from this?

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Coronal Leadership

The Covid Learning Curve.  

Global leaders have hardly emerged as role models in recent months. Most started with denial, moved on to panic and then shifted to blame. These are not qualities that turn up in the leadership lexicon. They are more like examples of what leadership is not.

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