New Regulations, Wall Street Bonuses, And The Economy

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Even if you're not the economic type, at least skim this article on how Wall Street is adjusting to new regulations and new realities.  It's an interesting overview of what's going on, and codifies a few trends I've been wondering about (roughly, I think Wall Street really is in a kind of existential crisis and people don't fully get the impact of new regulation).

My favorite money quote:

“If you’re a smart Ph.D. from MIT, you’d never go to Wall Street now,” says a hedge-fund executive. “You’d go to Silicon Valley. There’s at least a prospect for a huge gain. You’d have the potential to be the next Mark Zuckerberg. It looks like he has a lot more fun.”

Awesome.  Come on over guys, I know a great few restauraunts to take you to while you go and make a real, productive business.  Also, I could use another roommate.

– Steven Savage

And It Continues: Verizon Teams Up With Redbox

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Fusing FIOS streaming with Redbox?  Sounds like a plan.

So here's another major entrant in the video wars.  FIOS has barely been on my radar as it seemed to be another effort, so maybe I better start paying attention.

Mostly this seems to be a useful joint venture to do more for Redbox and give Verizon more options.  However I don't see this remaining joint forever – I see it being adsorbed into Verizon or spun off somehow.  It's still a bit experimental.

So my take?

  • This makes perfect sense as Verizon clearly wants to be far more than a carrier, and Redbox probably wants the insurance.
  • I don't see this yielding many employment opportunities short-term.  It has to gear up, it feels like an experiment, so I'm not seeing any significant opportunities.
  • Much as it seemed to be de rigeur to create a music service awhile ago, now it seems everyone wants a video service.  As companies with properties are probably not too fussy about allowing content out (for a price), at least short term it may make sense.
  • I actually think this competition is good right now – it shakes things up and forces others to rethink things.  What else might be inspired by this should be watched.

– Steven Savage

RUMOR: Amazon Phyiscal Store?

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If this rumor is true, then Apple is going to try a physical store as an experiment in Seattle.  I have no idea how to take this, it may never happen, it could be a way to mess with people's minds.  But I put this out there to keep you all informed.

Of course if they did, this is going to push them into completely unknown territory, so I'm not sure they could pull it off.  If they did do it, it may take awhile for it to be evaluated – UNLESS the goal is to deliver a blow to multiple competitors.

I also suspect an Amazon store would only do well in a limited selection of locations.

But, we will see.

– Steven Savage