'Uncategorized' Category
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11/11: Remembering our veterans and remembering the genesis of the EU project
November 11, 2014Today is a holiday: 11/11. Europe celebrates it as Armistice Day, commemorating the end of World War I (the war to end all wars), of which the fighting stopped on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918). The Commonwealth nations observe 11/11 as Remembrance Day in honor of the […]
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Pre-M&A buzzing
November 4, 2014It looks like Publicis’ announced acquisition of Sapient yesterday was characterized by some pre-announcement “leakage.” Imagine if Sapient were subject to the Loi Hamon !
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The pyramid of luxury consumption
October 7, 2014On the heels of Paris Fashion Week and the abundance of glitteratti strolling around in the balmy summer weather wearing ostentatious dresses (I saw one model that seemed to wearing a ball gown made of rubber tubes and hanging orbs), it seems appropriate to reflect on the stages of wearable luxury. Here’s how I see […]
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Holiday Toys for Tohoku Project
December 8, 2013Here’s where I’ve decided to allocate my charitable giving this year: toy gift cards for children in Tohoku. By no means is this a solicitation for a donation, and I appreciate that many of you are already overwhelmed with opportunities for charity during this holiday season. With that caveat, if you’re looking to for another, […]
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Why the latest RBS scandal smells so rotten
December 3, 2013If claims in a UK government report published last week have any basis, then the latest scandal surrounding the Royal Bank of Scotland makes LIBOR manipulation look like just a rainy start to the cricket season. The Tomlinson report, established by UK Business Secretary Vince Cable, found evidence that RBS intentionally forced small and medium […]
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Summer reading list 2013
July 23, 2013Last year’s summer reading list proved so popular that I’ve decided to renew it. The guiding criteria for books to fit this list are merely: i) to have some connection to startups, technology, VC, or Europe; and ii) to not be too heavy or intensely intellectual. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, […]
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Open up the French Open
June 4, 2013On Friday my colleague and I walked by a shop window at lunchtime that displayed a large flat screen televising Roger Federer’s match at Roland Garros. We were immediately struck by the abundance of vacant seats in the stadium during the match. Granted, it was a Friday afternoon (heaven forbid the French cut out work […]
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Losing Our Religion
April 23, 2013I just returned Sunday following a week off the grid with family. Part of my travels took me through New York, during which I indulged on two of my favorite weaknesses: authentic New York bagels, and pastrami on rye from a Brooklyn deli. Of course, nowadays I don’t have to travel all the way to […]
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Voulez-vous Yahoo ?
March 12, 2013A worrying phenomenon is brewing among a handful of French companies that are using the brouhaha at Yahoo! as an excuse to forbid working from home. Unless you’ve miraculously escaped the tireless media coverage, you’re aware that Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer announced last month that she was abolishing the firm’s work-from-home policy, saying that to […]
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Musings on advanced urban ecosystems
December 4, 2012For the second time in a month this weekend, fortune had it that I caught one of the brand new trains on RER B. I’ve long suspected that one of the reasons that keeps Paris below other world-class cities in various rankings (such as the recent 11th out of Startup Genome’s Top 20 Startup Ecosystems) […]
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Year of the Draghi
September 18, 2012It appears that rumors of the death of the Euro have been greatly exaggerated, at least for now. This is thanks in large part to the efforts of the President of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi. Mr. Draghi seems to have made all the right moves so far. He successfully convinced Germany to accept the […]
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Nice to be not always on
August 21, 2012What a fanstastic two weeks. For the first time ever, Rude VC decided to go completely off the grid for two whole weeks this August. Nothing but fresh air, perfect weather, and intense triathlon training in the pursuit of physical exhaustion and mental rejuvenation. Awaiting me among other things upon my return to the office […]