Don Tapscott is one of the world’s leading thinkers on Blockchain. He’s also the co-founder of the Blockchain Research Institute – an independent, global think-tank. In fact, according to Thinkers 50 – he has been ranked #2 in leading Global Thinkers.
This 20 minute Ted Talk is one of the clearest explanations of Blockchain. Interesting, insightful, and easy to listen to.
A blockchain is a distributed software network that functions both as a digital ledger and a mechanism enabling the secure transfer of assets without an intermediary. Just as the internet is a technology that facilitates the digital flow of information, blockchain is a technology that facilitates the digital exchange of units of value. Anything from currencies to land titles to votes can be tokenized, stored, and exchanged on a blockchain network.
Monopolies will become decentralized. Right now, a few global players dominate ecommerce (Amazon, Alibaba etc). There are hardly any challengers to existing players, and the cost of change is too high. Blockchain technology essentially decentralizes control and ensures that trust is achieved without the need for a centralized power. It also means greater transparency and power to the consumer.
Regulatory Changes. Data protection laws (such as GDPR) will have an impact on blockchain technology and e-commerce players. Monopolies in the e-commerce world will come under different kinds of attacks.
Customers are becoming more aware of monopolistic powers. They are taking a deeper interest in knowing the origins of a product, its sustainability and so on. This will result in a shake-up of e-commerce players, and a lot of vendors may get filtered out.
Canada’s Podcast interviews entrepreneurs and business leaders in Canada to keep them informed on what’s going on throughout the country and globally, enabling everyone to connect and network with their guests. Each episode interviews a unique Canadian entrepreneur from each city and provides both a national and international platform for them to discuss their business and journey.
I’ve read or listened to 7 of Seth Godin’s books. Each and every one has had a profound impact on my thinking. The Latest – This Is Marketing – is really important.
Invent a thing worth making, with a story worth telling, and a contribution worth talking about;
Design and build it in a way that a few people will particularly benefit from and care about;
Tell a story that matches the built in narrative and dreams of that group of people – the smallest viable market;
Spread the word;
Show up regularly and consistency for years and years – engage your tribe to make things happen.
I’ve just been listening to Six Billion Shoppers on Audible.com. I’m mesmerized by the global insight from e-commerce expert and former Alibaba vice president Porter Erisman.
From Amazon: From China to India to Nigeria, e-commerce is entering a golden era in countries that were long left out of the e-commerce gold rush experienced in the West. If the story of the first twenty years of e-commerce’s growth was set in developed markets, the story of the next twenty years will be set in emerging ones. The rise of e-commerce in emerging markets is being driven by three major trends: widespread internet adoption, a rising middle class, and, most importantly, innovative new business models that serve the needs of local customers better than the models used by western e-commerce giants.
