The Aleph Report
By Alex Barrera
issues
Post-pandemic Technology trends: What to Watch
Proptech maturityOne of the industries that suffered and evolved the most was Real Estate. For decades it's been resisting digitalization one way or another. The pandemic has supercharged it, and many second-generation proptech startups are rising to the top.…
Post-pandemic technology trends: Geopolitics
Hello everyone, happy new year! 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone, I included. I consider myself lucky as everyone is in good health and work has been steady. However, as many readers might have observed, I haven't been writing much. There is the …
China’s Allies And Why It Matters (Part II)
This is part II on the state of innovation of different Asian economies. For an overview of Japan and South Korea, check the previous post. Asia is a big continent. Each country, while sharing some cultural aspects, is very different. This reflects on the dif…
China's Allies And Why It Matters (Part I)
The current trade war between the US and China is having a substantial impact worldwide. It's not only affecting manufacturers but startups and investors too. The conflict, though, is also opening strategic opportunities, especially in the innovation space. I…
The End and Limits of the Facebook Model
I'm tired of reading that Facebook is going to change. I'm worn out about hearing how important privacy is to most companies, while they simultaneously exploit their user's data. So let me explain something that seems obvious to me but which eludes most of th…
Why are Corporates Investing Beyond their Venture Arms?
I find Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) fascinating. For years startups have tried to get Corporates to invest in their ideas. Organizations, though, have been ignoring startups at any turn. Meanwhile, disruptive innovations coming out of them have been shapin…
Fortnite and the Future of Social Entertainment
Some weeks ago I delivered a talk about future trends in the Gaming industry. While I'm not a gambler myself, I've always kept a close eye on the gaming industry. eSports have always attracted me due to their potential to upset the entertainment field. For ye…
5G will change your business faster than you think
Not that I'm a big fan of such titles, but when I look at what 5G will bring, it's clear most businesses will feel the impact. Most technologies have a slow adoption curve. 5G though will go quicker due to the geopolitical implications surrounding it. This ch…
Has the 5G fever any merit?
The trendiest word in technology circles is 5G, but is it even worth talking about it?. It reminds me of when 4G was the next-big-thing. I hate such hype cycles. Everyone is announcing something, but none of it translates to the market. The truth is, infrastr…
Startups Are Becoming Dumb And Hard
I always struggle to explain why strategy is essential. Since a very young age, I've been a long-term thinker. For me, it's as natural as breathing. My failure to show others the importance of sitting down to think things through is frustrating. I know I'm go…
AirBnB Is The Least Of Your Problems
One of the most recurrent complains in western countries is how rents are skyrocketing. And raising they are. The question is, who is at fault? Who is pushing thousands to the brink of homelessness? AirBnB of course!This narrative fits, and so it keeps reverb…
Is Car Sharing a Good Business?
The Smart Mobility industry is disrupting how we understand, among other things, our relationship with our cars. Within it, car-sharing is becoming a fast-growing space, especially in Europe. Growth is accelerating so much, that in cities like Madrid we alrea…
Politicians And Regulations Are About To End The Startup World
Many trends are shaping our current technologic landscape. However, there is one that everyone keeps ignoring. That's the collision between the technological and political establishments. For decades, the technology industry has been evolving at the fringes o…
The China Tide and The Downfall of Silicon Valley
Last week I gave a talk about China at South Summit 2018. It’s an updated version from last year’s China article. The numbers and speed of innovation in China is insane and the new numbers, 11 months apart, are staggering. Enjoy the video and the slides below.
Why the Apple Watch Series 4 is a BIG deal
I am not an Apple fanboy, but it's hard to ignore all the things Apple is doing as of lately. One of the first articles I wrote was about the disruptive potential of the iPhone X. While new apps using the True Depth sensor camera will take time to flower, the…
Welcome to the Content Paywall Era
Content has always been notoriously hard to monetize. It seems surprising, as most people would agree that good content is valuable. It brings insight, opinions, perspectives or pure entertainment. In the physical world, we still retain a certain tangible pri…
Do you really know Millennials?
Everyone I know talks about Millennials. However, I'm under the impression most people don't fully appreciate how different they are. I was born on the fringes of Generation X with Millennials. My parents are Baby Boomers. My brother is Millennial.One of the …
The Electrification Game
Our world is changing and changing fast. Some transformations are straightforward. Others are the consequence of the convergence of certain trends. The electrification of transport and the rise of Electric Vehicles (EV) is one such evolution. EVs are, by no m…
Startups Aren't Solving The Right Challenges
Never before there's been so many startups cropping worldwide. Some of them will undoubtedly disrupt their markets. They'll take innovative technologies and use them to push disruption forward. And that's good. We need change. We need things to keep improving…
Startups Don't Need to Make Financial Sense
I'm sure some investors will be rolling their eyes just about now. And with good cause. Yes, companies are supposed to make financial sense, and there is an apparent reason for that. Entrepreneurs start companies with the goal of generating value for society.…