Tag: Risk
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The Meaning of Risk
If you think about the word ‘risk’ – what comes to mind? Throughout history, ‘risk’ has had slightly different connotations. Tracing the etymology, Michele Wucker provides a few clues into its various meanings, which could be summarized as: When I think about commercial settings, and the context in which risks are usually discussed, I think…
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Summary: Dhandho Investor – The Low Risk Method to High Returns
Mohnish Pabrai couldn’t figure out how on Earth the Patels – an small immigrant community that only arrived in the US a few decades ago with barely any assets to their name – managed to acquire $40bn worth of American motel and hotel assets. He came to realise that the answer is in their approach: low…
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Language as a basis for strategy
The connection between language and strategy Starting about 300,000 years ago language was used by groups of early human males to overthrow the alpha male of their group. According to Richard Wrangham, a researcher of anthropology, primate groups differ from human groups in that, typically, a group of primates has an alpha male with subordinate males.…
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The East India Company and the Origins of Corporate Risk Taking
The East India Company became one of the largest companies that ever existed and controlled half of all world trade at one point. Its beginnings (and its eventual success) are based on the innovation of risk taking: The company existed for over 400 years and its original intention was to import spices from Indonesia. In 1599, the…
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The Zurich Axioms: A Summary through the Lens of Antifragility
The Zurich Axioms are based on the axioms that Swiss bankers have used to increase and preserve wealth over generations. I decided to look at the axioms through the lens of antifragility and with coaching principles in mind in order to better understand how to apply them. It’s all very well reading the axioms and…
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Journeys to the Ends of the Earth – Trading in East Africa
In a delightful episode of this series (Journeys to the End of the Earth), the photographer, David Adams, joins a crew of dhow sailors as they sail along the East African coast trading from port to port. They have no compass nor maps to rely on, and sail without motor and electricity – just using…
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Strategy = Language + Risk Taking
Starting about 300,000 years ago language was used by a group of early human males to overthrow the alpha male bully. According Richard Wrangham, primate alpha males bully lesser males and get what they want (food, females) through force and bullying. Typically a group of primates has an alpha male with subordinate males. Early humans,…
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‘The Anarchy’ – A Summary of Piracy, Strategy, Tea and the East India Company
I remember once reading in a book where an Indian character says to the other: do you know how the British built their Empire? One teaspoon at a time. I’ve just finished reading the Anarchy by William Dalrymple. The expression is true, it was one tea spoon at a time, but there were a couple…
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Taking Risks to Advance Your Cause
“Seven Years in Tibet” – which I thought was going to be an account of one man’s friendship with the Dalai Lama – actually begins with the lengthy tale (65 chapters!) of Heinrich Harrer trying to escape war imprisonment in India and trekking through Tibet. Only one purpose – to be free – guided his…
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Adam Curtis Discussing Risk
I listened to the first half of Adam Curtis being interviewed by Russell Brand. Some interesting insights that caught my ear related to antifragility, change and risk: Through this interpretation, I understand that change and volatility has been suppressed whilst, throughout this time, the systems we live in have become more and more fragile (because…