Understanding p values

While we have talked about the general froth in the initial public offering (IPO) market, it is time to focus on one of the major drivers – special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). SPAC IPOs accounted for over half of all IPOs in 2020   and are already set to make up a majority in quarter one of 2021. This is a cause for worry in the market and, more importantly, for investors who may get caught bearing the real costs of a SPAC. We'll look at the why and how of SPACs, as well as why the odds seem tilted against individual investors realizing a good return. Key Takeaways The IPO market has been frothy of late, with tech offerings seeing huge jumps in first-day trading. Within this IPO market, SPACs are making up a larger share of new offerings. This means that more and more money is hitting the market with a plan to find something to buy. SPACs give creators and sponsors structural advantages that later investors don't have, making the decision for retail … [Read more...] about SPACs Look Like a Bubble Within a Bubble

Ethereum’s co-founder Gavin Wood said crypto investors need to be more aware of what is backing their holdings after a market rout that wiped more than $800 billion off their value. “I would hope that people pay more attention to what is belying the currency name when they get involved in a community, ecosystem, economy,” Wood told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alpine resort of Davos. Crypto and blockchain firms have been highly visible at this year’s gathering of business and political leaders, despite the market plummeting in value in the weeks leading up to the event, with the eighth-largest coin Luna becoming virtually worthless. Souvenir tokens representing cryptocurrency Bitcoin and the Ethereum network, with its native token ether, plunge into water in this illustration taken May 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo British computer scientist Wood was attending for the first time to talk about a new partnership … [Read more...] about Ethereum co-founder warns of crypto crash – ‘Pay more attention’

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin In the late '70s, I grew up watching Charlie's Angels, an American crime drama television series with three beautiful women private detectives fighting crimes. In the show, these women were former-police officers who were dissatisfied with their menial assignments in the police force. They left to become private investigators solving crimes under the Charles Townsend Agency, hence, Charlie's Angels. The series initially starred Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Jaclyn Smith. These badass characters were intelligent, beautiful, strong, good with weapons, and always dressed in the hottest fashion. Charlie's Angels were one of the first major popular TV shows that empowered women to achieve in a male-dominated industry beyond the stereotyped female roles. “We were independent women making our way. Our lives didn’t revolve around men. There was a bond with the girls, and we had loyalty to each other which was a gift from heaven, … [Read more...] about Interview With An Angel: Jaclyn Smith

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin 92 million tons of clothes-related waste are discarded each year. To put that in perspective, that’s the equivalent of a garbage truck full of clothing being sent to a landfill every second. The good news is this excessive waste has driven innovation in ways that not only benefit our planet but that also provide a more transparent and personalized way for brands to communicate with consumers. And a few trailblazing companies are leading the charge. Using Digital IDs for Authenticated Resale Resale is huge and the industry is getting bigger fast. Insulated from supply chain bottlenecks and benefitting from an increased focus on sustainability, the resale market is growing 11 times faster than traditional retail and expected to hit $77 billion in the next five years. So, what is the next evolution in resale? Vanessa Barboni Hallik, the CEO of Another Tomorrow, believes it is important to offer resale … [Read more...] about Brands Are Now Communicating To Consumers About Sustainability Through QR Codes – Here’s How

Sixty percent of Americans are worried that automation is putting jobs at risk, and 39% think their own job will be obsolete within five years, according to PwC’s Hopes and Fears survey . New positions that may not exist today, however, will replace some of the jobs that will be lost to AI. But, if your job is at risk, it’s a good idea to have plan B in place now so you can seamlessly transition and stay relevant. advertisement advertisement “The only thing we can predict is the unpredictable,” says Scott Steinberg, author of Think Like a Futurist 2022: The Next Normal . “Things tend to move fast and change from week to week at this point, and there will be many next ‘normals.’ Even when many events are outside your ability to control, you can always steer things toward a more positive outcome.” The first thing is to gain situational awareness. It should raise major red flags if your job is easily reduced to a description on paper that anyone … [Read more...] about How to future-proof your job by thinking like a futurist

When the history of the COVID-19 pandemic is written, the disease’s economic and cultural impact will surely include the Great Resignation . An unprecedented 45 million Americans voluntarily left their jobs in 2021. In January 2022 alone, 4.3 million workers quit their jobs according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures. advertisement advertisement IMany employees quit for what they believed were greener pastures. Others sought a sabbatical from “9 to 5” employment, while still others entered a period of “perpetual retirement” where they exited the workforce but, for a variety of reasons, are anticipated to return, perhaps cyclically. Profound Transformation Behind the exodus is a more profound transformation: U.S. workers are demanding a reevaluation of the contractual nature of work—and the power is in their hands. The relationship between employer and employee is changing, and employers are no longer in the driver’s seat. To … [Read more...] about The workplace reckoning in the wake of the Great Resignation

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin There seems to be a lot of confusion about whether annuities are good or bad. Some of it stems from viewing the product as complex and too time-consuming to study and understand. But I don’t see annuities being any more complicated than other financial products. For example, one type of annuity is simply like a pension, and there’s almost no one who thinks a pension is bad. Annuities are a type of insurance product. By purchasing one, you’re transferring risk to the insurance company just as you do with home, auto, or life insurance coverage. With annuity products, the insurer is assuming some, if not all, of the longevity or market risk and charging a fee doing so. Risk mitigation is common to all types of annuity products, yet they differ markedly in other ways. Variable Annuities When people talk about contract complexity and high fees, they’re usually referring to variable annuities. I find these products are … [Read more...] about Do Annuities Make Sense For Anyone?

Today’s tight labor market, economic challenges, and customers’ ever-increasing expectations have changed the business landscape. To adapt, survive and have a chance to thrive, businesses must be increasingly agile. advertisement Companies need the people, processes and technology to support fast decision making, continued innovation and inevitable pivots. Let’s consider how your business can use process redesign, automation and people-first strategies to speed up workflows while delivering exceptional experiences for customers and employees alike. Customer service and personalization Customer service has become a business differentiator: a tool for building connections and reinforcing brand values. While this is more important than ever, it is also more complicated. Jeff Weiner, vice president, general manager at Conduent , a provider of business process outsourcing (BPO) solutions that ignite efficiency, savings and revenue growth, explains that the … [Read more...] about How to build business momentum during challenging times

Hiring. It’s a huge problem for almost every small business owner. In today’s lean environment, you need high value contributors, not warm bodies. The good news is that you can get some very interesting, capable team members without actually having to hire them yourself. A variety of companies manage talent in finance, engineering, and public relations, providing top-notch talent on part-time arrangements. For the business owner, this provides much-needed flexibility. You don’t have to make commitments to potential employees when you don’t know what the next year or even the next quarter will look like. For the right workers, these arrangements allow unheard-of flexibility, challenge, and the ability to pursue other passions in life. The arrangement is strictly business-to-business, and the intensity of the engagements can be dialed up or down depending on the entrepreneur’s immediate needs. There are no 1099’s, no insurance issues, no hassle. If it isn’t working out, there … [Read more...] about How to Hire People You Can’t Afford

By now, everyone has weighed in on the Goldman Sachs crisis. Pundits have pilloried the firm for enabling a toxic and destructive culture. Supporters such as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg have defended the darling of Wall Street, saying it remains a great institution. And the Goldman Sachs PR machine has simultaneously done everything possible to undermine whistle-blower Greg Smith's credibility while insisting his remarks don't reflect the values of the firm's 30,000 employees. Regardless of where the truth lies, companies must learn from the image and reputation damage that's been wreaked on Goldman. I've worked for countless organizations in, well, every conceivable industry and can assure you of two things: There are many Goldman-like cultures in fields that have nothing whatsoever to do with the world of high-powered finance. There are just as many cultures that espouse the best-in-breed ethos of such rock-star companies as Southwest Airlines, Starbucks, and … [Read more...] about Don’t Be Like Goldman Sachs: 5 Ways