#data-driven culture

[p11patel]

5 KPIs Powering AI Startups

In the fast-paced world of artificial intelligence (AI), startups constantly seek innovative ways to carve out their niche, differentiate their products, and capture the attention of a discerning customer base. Within this highly competitive landscape, the ability to launch and effectively measure the impact of marketing campaigns is no longer a luxury—it's a necessity. This is where the critical role of metrics, including key performance indicators (KPIs), comes into play, serving as the compass that guides AI startups through the complex and often tumultuous waters of market penetration and customer acquisition.

Importance of Metrics in Marketing

Measuring marketing performance is essential for AI startups, which often face challenges like limited budgets and the need to explain complex technologies. Metrics provide tangible insights beyond surface-level data, enabling startups to gauge the health and potential of their growth trajectory. By analyzing the right metrics, startups can optimize their strategies, allocate resources efficiently, and pivot quickly in response to market feedback.

Understanding Marketing Metrics

In marketing analytics, there's a distinction between vanity metrics and actionable metrics. Vanity metrics, such as social media followers or page views, may look impressive but often lack meaningful insights. On the other hand, actionable metrics, like conversion rates and customer acquisition costs (CAC), are directly tied to business objectives and provide valuable insights into customer behavior and marketing effectiveness.

Setting Clear Objectives

Establishing clear, measurable objectives is foundational to any successful marketing strategy. For AI startups, objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). By setting precise goals aligned with the startup's overarching business objectives, startups can tailor their marketing strategies effectively and track progress accurately.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for AI Startups

In the high-stakes world of AI startups, where innovation meets market realities, understanding and leveraging key performance indicators (KPIs) is essential. These metrics not only lead the path to growth but also ensure that every step taken is informed, intentional, and aligned with the startup's overarching objectives. Below, we will discuss critical KPIs for AI startups, exploring their definitions, calculations, and strategic importance, alongside insights on leveraging analytics tools for continuous improvement.

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): CAC represents the average cost of acquiring a new customer and is crucial for assessing the efficiency and sustainability of growth strategies. While industry benchmarks can provide insights, startups should focus on optimizing their CAC to ensure cost-effective customer acquisition.

Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV): CLTV forecasts the total value derived from a customer throughout their relationship with the business. Understanding CLTV helps startups determine how much to invest in acquiring customers and identify valuable customer segments for targeted marketing efforts.

Conversion Rates: Conversion rates measure the percentage of potential customers who take desired actions, such as purchasing or signing up for a trial. Tracking conversion rates at each stage of the marketing funnel helps identify bottlenecks and optimize the customer journey for improved conversion.

Engagement Metrics: Metrics like time on site, pages per session, and repeat usage are vital indicators of product value and customer satisfaction. High engagement levels often correlate with higher retention rates and customer lifetime value, making them essential for assessing product-market fit and user experience.

Return on Investment (ROI): ROI measures the efficiency and effectiveness of marketing expenditures by comparing sales growth to marketing investment. Understanding ROI enables startups to make informed decisions about budget allocation and optimize marketing strategies for maximum impact.

Case Studies: Success Stories

Examining the success stories of AI startups provides valuable insights into the practical application of metrics-driven marketing strategies. For example, AlphaAI reduced CAC by implementing targeted content marketing, while BetaAnalytics increased CLTV through personalized user experiences. GammaVision doubled marketing ROI through rigorous experimentation and A/B testing.

Conclusion: In conclusion, a metrics-driven approach is essential for AI startups to navigate the complexities of the marketing landscape successfully. By focusing on key performance indicators like CAC, CLTV, conversion rates, engagement metrics, and ROI, startups can optimize their marketing strategies, allocate resources effectively, and achieve sustainable growth. Continuous measurement, analysis, and optimization are critical for success in the dynamic and competitive AI market.

[elsa16744]

Cultivating a Data-Driven Culture: Unveiling the Power of Data-Driven Decision Making

In the digital age, data has emerged as the new currency for organizations seeking to gain a competitive edge. The ability to harness data effectively and make data-driven decisions has become a crucial factor in achieving success and sustainable growth. Businesses today are increasingly recognizing the immense value of cultivating a data-driven culture that permeates through all levels of their organization. In this blog, we delve into how organizations are creating and fostering a data-driven culture to unlock the full potential of data-driven decision making.

1. Embracing a Data-Driven Culture

The first step towards a data-driven culture begins with the collective mindset of an organization. Instead of relying solely on gut feelings or traditional practices, businesses are encouraging their teams to embrace data-driven methodologies. This shift in mindset involves recognizing data as a strategic asset and empowering employees to make decisions backed by data-driven insights.

A data-driven culture fosters an environment where curiosity and innovation thrive. It encourages employees to explore data, ask the right questions, and derive actionable conclusions. This newfound data-centric approach is instrumental in transforming organizations into agile entities capable of adapting to ever-changing market dynamics.

2. The Role of Data-Driven Decision Making

Data-driven decision-making lies at the heart of a data-driven culture. Organizations are leveraging data analytics and advanced technologies to derive valuable insights from a vast sea of data. This approach enables them to make well-informed decisions that drive growth, optimize processes, and enhance customer experiences.

The power of data-driven decision-making extends across various business functions. From marketing campaigns to supply chain management, from financial forecasting to talent acquisition, data-driven insights are guiding businesses toward the path of success. By utilizing data to its fullest potential, organizations can minimize risks, identify growth opportunities, and achieve strategic goals.

3. Building a Data-Driven Ecosystem

Creating a data-driven culture involves more than just installing analytics tools; it requires building a robust data-driven ecosystem. This ecosystem encompasses the people, processes, and technologies that collectively enable data-driven decision making.

To foster a data-driven culture, organizations are investing in data literacy training for their employees. This initiative equips them with the necessary skills to interpret and utilize data effectively. Additionally, data governance frameworks are being put in place to ensure data quality, security, and compliance.

Implementing cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) empowers businesses to harness the full potential of their data. By integrating these technologies into their operations, organizations gain the ability to predict market trends, understand customer behavior, and optimize operations with unprecedented accuracy.

Conclusion

In today’s hyper-competitive landscape, data-driven culture has become a key differentiator for successful organizations. Embracing data-driven decision-making is no longer an option but a necessity for businesses aiming to thrive and grow. By fostering a data-driven culture and creating a strong data-driven ecosystem, organizations can unlock the true power of data, transforming it into a strategic asset that fuels innovation and drives business success.

Read more: Data as a Growth Enabler: Finding the Real Purpose of Data

[educationisimp0]

By prioritizing data-driven decision-making at all levels, organizations can set the stage for employees to embrace data analysis and interpretation. Additionally, promoting collaboration and breaking down data silos encourage cross-functional communication and knowledge sharing. Overall, cultivating a data-driven culture requires a holistic approach that empowers employees to leverage data effectively for informed decision-making.

[atozofsoftwareengineering]

Unlocking Business Insights: The Power of IT Analytics in Today's Digital Economy

Introduction In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, information technology (IT) has become a critical component of almost every organization’s operations. From managing databases to maintaining networks, IT plays a vital role in ensuring that business operations run smoothly and efficiently. However, with the increasing complexity of IT systems and the growing volume of data generated by…

[top-b-schools-kolkata]

Top 4 Reasons Why Corporates Are Hiring Data Science Graduates To Promote A Data-Driven Culture

The rampart movement in the business world has led to the emergence of a Data-driven Culture in the corporate field. A certain shift can be determined by numerous factors.

[corporateintel]

Sniff for Myth

The mantra of modern business decision-making is often tied to the basic concept of data-driven reasoning. If you hold a leadership position within an organization, you know that understanding data is a mandate. Data is the foundation for supporting a thesis, building consensus around a point of view, or building an argument for change. Data won’t tell us everything we need to know, and data can…

[marketxcel]

What Is Consumer Research: Methods, Types, Scope & Examples

Explore the world of consumer research with our comprehensive blog. Learn about various research methods, types, and the broad scope of consumer studies. Dive into real-world examples to understand how consumer research impacts businesses and shapes the market landscape. Elevate your knowledge and stay ahead in the dynamic field of consumer insights.

[raffaellopalandri]

Book of the Day - Good to Great

Today’s Book of the Day is Good to Great, written by Jim Collins in 2001 and published by Harper Business. Jim Collins is an American researcher, author, speaker and consultant. His work is mainly focused on business management, sustainability, and growth. Good to Great, by Jim Collins I have chosen this book as I put it into a bibliography of a presentation I have been preparing this…

[jcmarchi]

10 Best ChatGPT Prompts for HR Professionals

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/10-best-chatgpt-prompts-for-hr-professionals/

10 Best ChatGPT Prompts for HR Professionals

In the dynamic world of Human Resources (HR), staying ahead with innovative tools and techniques is crucial for success. HR professionals are constantly looking for ways to streamline processes, enhance employee engagement, and optimize talent management. ChatGPT, with its advanced AI capabilities, emerges as a powerful ally in this endeavor.

In this blog, we explore ChatGPT prompts specifically tailored for HR professionals, each designed to tackle a unique aspect of the HR domain.

1. Drafting Job Descriptions

A well-crafted job description is the first step in attracting the right talent. It sets the tone for the kind of skills and personalities that will fit into your team.

Prompt: “Create a comprehensive job description for a [specific role], including key responsibilities, required qualifications, and desired skills, with an emphasis on [company culture, diversity, remote work possibilities, etc.].”

This prompt aids in generating detailed and appealing job descriptions that align with your company’s values and the specific demands of the role. It ensures that potential candidates get a clear picture of what’s expected, making your recruitment process more efficient.

2. Developing Interview Questions

The interview process is critical in evaluating whether a candidate is a right fit for your organization. Tailored interview questions can help uncover deeper insights into a candidate’s capabilities and fit within your company culture.

Prompt: “Generate a set of insightful interview questions for [specific role] that assess [specific skills, cultural fit, problem-solving abilities, etc.].”

Using this prompt, HR professionals can formulate questions that not only gauge technical expertise but also explore a candidate’s soft skills and alignment with the company’s ethos, enhancing the quality of your hiring process.

3. Creating Employee Engagement Surveys

Understanding and enhancing employee engagement is vital for retaining talent and maintaining a productive work environment. An effective engagement survey can provide valuable insights into employee satisfaction and areas needing improvement.

Prompt: “Design an employee engagement survey focusing on [specific areas like work-life balance, job satisfaction, company culture] to gather actionable insights.”

This prompt helps in creating comprehensive surveys that touch upon various facets of employee experience, ensuring that you have the data needed to make informed decisions to boost morale and productivity.

4. Formulating Performance Review Templates

Performance reviews are pivotal for employee development and organizational growth. A well-structured template can make this process more meaningful and efficient.

Prompt: “Craft a detailed performance review template that includes [criteria for evaluation, self-assessment section, goals for next review period] tailored for [specific department or role].”

This prompt assists HR professionals in creating performance review templates that are not only comprehensive but also customized to different roles or departments. It ensures a more objective and productive review process that aligns with both employee growth and organizational objectives.

5. Building Onboarding Plans

A smooth onboarding process is crucial for integrating new employees into the company culture and setting them up for success.

Prompt: “Develop a comprehensive onboarding plan for new employees in [specific department or role], covering [first-week activities, key resources, mentorship programs].”

This prompt guides HR professionals in structuring an onboarding plan that is thorough and engaging. It helps create a welcoming environment for new hires and accelerates their journey towards becoming productive team members.

6. Generating Training Module Outlines

Continuous learning and development are key to keeping employees skilled and motivated. Effective training modules are essential in this regard.

Prompt: “Outline a training module for [specific skill or software] targeted at [specific employee group], including [learning objectives, session breakdown, assessment methods].”

By using this prompt, HR professionals can design training modules that are targeted, structured, and effective. This ensures that employees are up-to-date with the necessary skills and knowledge, contributing to overall organizational competency.

7. Creating Employee Recognition Programs

Recognizing and rewarding employees for their achievements is a key factor in boosting morale and productivity. A well-conceived recognition program can significantly enhance employee satisfaction and loyalty.

Prompt: “Design an employee recognition program that highlights [specific achievements or behaviors], suggesting [recognition methods, frequency, rewards].”

This prompt helps HR professionals to conceptualize and implement effective recognition programs that resonate with the employees, fostering a culture of appreciation and achievement within the organization.

8. Drafting Internal Communication Templates

Effective internal communication is the backbone of any well-functioning organization. Having clear and consistent templates for various internal communications can save time and avoid misunderstandings.

Prompt: “Compose a set of internal communication templates for [specific scenarios like company updates, policy changes], ensuring clarity and [company tone or culture].”

With this prompt, HR professionals can create templates that ensure messages are conveyed efficiently and in a manner that aligns with the company’s culture and communication style, thereby maintaining consistency and clarity in internal communications.

9. Developing Exit Interview Questions

Exit interviews provide critical insights into the workplace environment and can help in understanding the reasons behind employee turnover. Thoughtfully crafted questions can uncover valuable information for organizational improvement.

Prompt: “Create a set of exit interview questions that explore [reasons for leaving, feedback on company culture, suggestions for improvement].”

This prompt assists HR professionals in framing questions that lead to meaningful conversations, helping to gather candid feedback and actionable insights from departing employees.

10. Analyzing HR Metrics

In today’s data-driven world, analyzing HR metrics is crucial for strategic decision-making. A comprehensive analysis can reveal trends and insights that are essential for optimizing HR functions.

Prompt: “Provide an analysis of HR metrics focusing on [specific aspect like employee turnover, hiring efficiency], suggesting improvements based on the data.”

This prompt enables HR professionals to delve into various metrics, offering a clear picture of what’s working well and what needs improvement. It paves the way for data-informed strategies to enhance HR processes and overall organizational effectiveness.

Leveraging ChatGPT for Innovative and Efficient HR Management

The role of HR in shaping the workforce and fostering a positive organizational culture is more critical than ever. By leveraging ChatGPT prompts, HR professionals can effectively tackle a variety of tasks ranging from recruitment to employee engagement, training, and analytics. These ten prompts provide a glimpse into the potential of AI in revolutionizing HR practices, making them more efficient, data-driven, and employee-centric. Incorporating these prompts into the daily HR operations can lead to significant improvements in HR processes, contributing to the overall growth and success of the organization.

Embrace these ChatGPT prompts to elevate your HR strategies and pave the way for a more dynamic, responsive, and efficient HR department.

[garymdm]

Breaking down the barriers to becoming data-driven

Thank you for joining us on this data-driven journey. We understand that embracing a data-driven approach can sometimes be challenging, but the rewards are undoubtedly worth it. Let us address the most common barriers to adopting a data-driven mindset and empower you to take action. Introduction A 2022 S&P Global Market Intelligence survey of data and IT professionals found that, while most…

[ventesb2b]

Across Continents: The Power of B2B Marketing Solutions for Global Business Expansion

Introduction

In an interconnected world where borders are blurred by technology, businesses are continually expanding their horizons beyond local markets. The emergence of global B2B marketing solutions has transformed the way companies engage with international clients, opening doors to unprecedented growth opportunities. In this blog, we delve into the power of global B2B marketing solutions and how they can help businesses thrive on the global stage.

Understanding Global B2B Marketing Solutions:

Global B2B marketing solutions encompass a comprehensive set of strategies, tools, and techniques designed to help businesses connect with clients, partners, and stakeholders on a global scale. These solutions transcend geographical boundaries, language barriers, and cultural differences, enabling businesses to establish a strong presence and build meaningful relationships in diverse markets.

1. Market Research and Analysis:

Effective global B2B marketing begins with a deep understanding of each target market. Global B2B marketing solutions include robust market research and analysis, which help businesses identify local preferences, trends, and competitive landscapes. Armed with this insight, companies can tailor their messaging and offerings to resonate with the unique needs of each market.

2. Localization of Content:

Language and cultural nuances play a significant role in global marketing success. Global B2B marketing solutions involve the localization of content, ensuring that marketing materials are translated accurately and culturally adapted to resonate with the local audience. This approach enhances engagement and builds trust, as potential clients feel that the company understands their unique context.

3. Cross-Cultural Communication:

Effective global B2B marketing solutions focus on cultivating cross-cultural communication strategies. This involves understanding communication styles, social norms, and business etiquettes in various regions. Building rapport and understanding with potential clients on their terms establishes a foundation of trust and credibility.

4. Digital Presence and Search Engine Optimization (SEO):

In the digital age, having a strong online presence is essential for global business success. Global B2B marketing solutions emphasize optimizing websites for international search engines, making it easier for potential clients to discover your offerings. This includes using relevant keywords in multiple languages, optimizing content for local search intent, and creating region-specific landing pages.

5. Multichannel Marketing:

Different markets may favor different communication channels. Global B2B marketing solutions embrace a multichannel approach, utilizing platforms such as social media, email marketing, webinars, and industry-specific networks to engage with potential clients. This ensures that your brand is visible and accessible across a variety of channels, catering to diverse audience preferences.

6. Global Partnerships and Alliances:

Collaborating with local partners and forming alliances in target markets can accelerate global growth. Global B2B marketing solutions involve identifying potential partners, distributors, or resellers who can help your business penetrate new markets. These partnerships can provide valuable insights, distribution channels, and localized support.

7. Data-Driven Decision-Making:

Global B2B marketing solutions rely on data-driven insights to refine strategies and optimize campaigns. Analytics tools help businesses track the performance of marketing efforts in different regions, allowing for real-time adjustments based on engagement metrics, conversion rates, and other key performance indicators.

Let’s connect for more insight:  https://ventesb2b.com/contact-2/

8. Regulatory and Compliance Awareness:

Navigating international markets requires an understanding of local regulations and compliance standards. Global B2B marketing solutions ensure that businesses are aware of and adhere to relevant regulations, reducing the risk of legal and reputational challenges.

9. Tailored Value Propositions:

Different markets may have varying pain points and priorities. Global B2B marketing solutions involve crafting tailored value propositions that address the specific challenges and opportunities faced by clients in each region. This targeted approach positions your business as a partner that truly understands and can solve local market challenges.

10. Building a Global Brand:

Ultimately, the goal of global B2B marketing solutions is to build a strong global brand. Consistency in messaging, branding, and customer experience across markets fosters brand recognition and loyalty, making your business a trusted and recognizable name in the international business community.

Conclusion

The realm of global B2B marketing solutions is a dynamic landscape filled with opportunities for businesses to expand their reach and achieve remarkable growth. From market research and content localization to cross-cultural communication and digital optimization, these solutions empower companies to navigate the complexities of international markets successfully. By embracing global B2B marketing solutions, businesses can establish meaningful connections, drive engagement, and elevate their presence on the global stage, ultimately reaping the rewards of international expansion.

Aniket Deshpanade

Sr.Digital Marketink Associate

adeshpande185@gmail.com

www.ventesb2b.com/ New York, USA

[elsa16744]

Nurturing Data Culture for Effective Centers of Excellence

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, the cultivation of a robust data culture has become pivotal for organizations aiming to excel. With the advent of data analytics and the increasing importance of data management, companies are embracing data-driven solutions more than ever. This paradigm shift is giving rise to specialized entities known as Centers of Excellence (CoEs), where expertise converges to drive innovation. Let's explore how a thriving data culture forms the bedrock of such CoEs and shapes an empowered work environment.

Data Culture: A Catalyst for Transformation

A strong data culture is a shared commitment to leveraging data for informed decision-making across all levels of an organization. It's not just about accumulating data, but about fostering a mindset where data is seen as a strategic asset. The blog post on SG Analytics discusses how organizations can nurture a data culture that empowers employees to make data-driven choices.

Data Analytics: Unveiling Insights for Excellence

Effective data analytics is at the heart of any successful CoE. It's the process of uncovering meaningful patterns, trends, and insights from data, which in turn fuels innovation and growth. The article explains how integrating advanced data analytics practices within a CoE framework can lead to unparalleled outcomes. Discover the impact of data analytics on CoEs.

Data Management: Navigating the Seas of Information

Robust data management is the lighthouse guiding the way through the vast sea of information. It involves organizing, storing, and safeguarding data, ensuring its accuracy and accessibility. The blog post elaborates on how effective data management practices lay the foundation for reliable insights within CoEs. Explore the role of data management in CoEs.

Data-Driven Solutions: Pioneering the CoE Landscape

Data-driven solutions are the engines that power a CoE's innovation journey. By integrating data insights into processes, these solutions enable proactive decision-making. The article delves into how adopting data-driven solutions can redefine the CoE landscape, driving efficiency and effectiveness. Learn about the impact of data-driven solutions on CoEs.

Center of Excellence: Orchestrating Excellence Through Collaboration

A Center of Excellence is a collaborative hub where experts converge to develop, share, and implement best practices. It's a breeding ground for innovation and knowledge dissemination. The blog post discusses how a well-established CoE can flourish within a data-centric culture, catalyzing excellence across the organization. Discover the symbiotic relationship between CoEs and data culture.

Work Environment: Nurturing Growth Through Data Empowerment

A conducive work environment plays a crucial role in nurturing a data culture. When employees have the tools and resources to work with data effectively, they are more likely to embrace data-driven practices. The article sheds light on how organizations can create an environment that fosters data empowerment and fuels CoE success. Learn how a data-centric work environment fuels CoE growth.

In conclusion, the blog post emphasizes the indispensable link between a thriving data culture and the success of Centers of Excellence. By integrating data culture, data analytics, data management, data-driven solutions, Center of Excellence, and work environment, organizations can chart a course towards innovation, efficiency, and excellence in the modern business landscape.

[thetygre]

Working on a theory about the origins of the Chaos Gods specifically in Warhammer 40k.

Slaanesh was born from the old aeldari empire; that’s a given. So you can think of Slaanesh as being uniquely aeldari, even if Slaanesh is everyone’s problem now.

Now old, old lore states that the other three Chaos Gods are born from humanity, but this has widely been disregarded and abandoned because it’s clearly a cop-out. The only specific piece of data from this bit of lore is that Nurgle was born from humans during the Black Plague.

I’m actually not 100% opposed to this. I like the idea that Nurgle is uniquely related to humans the same way Slaanesh is related to eldar. Humans, being a naturally short lived race, would produce a Chaos God of death and decay reflecting their existential fears about entropy and the nature of time.

This establishes a pattern in 40k; every species with a major warp signature produces a Chaos God, who will carry on inherent traits of their creator species long after that species has been driven to extinction. Ergo, Tzeentch and Khorne were produced by two other, far more ancient alien cultures.

The only hints we can get about these extinct species come from their Chaos Gods’ Greater Daemons. As the Chaos Gods have no real physical form, their Greater Daemons are the most direct manifestations of their power we can experience, and therefore the only way to see any of their creator species traits. In the same way we can extrapolate an eldar from a Keeper of Secrets and a human from a Great Unclean One, we should be able to extrapolate… something from a Changer of Ways and a Bloodthirster.

This actually leads me to the tzaangor.

(These things. The bird people the Thousand Sons use when they don’t feel like getting their Rubric Marines dirty.)

The tzaangor’s presence in 40k is a leftover; they’re here because they’re in Warhammer Fantasy, and we need to flesh out Tzeentch’s armies, so in they go. Their explanation makes sense in Fantasy - they’re just another type of beastman. But beastmen aren’t really a thing in 40k, or at least they haven’t been for a few editions.

So that gets me thinking about the tzaangor, their similarities to Changers of Ways, and Tzeentch. I don’t think tzaangor in 40k are just some random mutants; I think they’re primitive leftovers of whatever species made Tzeentch. The similarities between the tzaangor and Changer of Ways are too obvious. (Like yes, duh; the tzaangor are derived from the Changers, but bear with me here.)

My theory is that whatever this species was, they were pioneers of the Warp itself. They harnessed it in a way not even the Old Ones had during the War in Heaven. They may even have been the creators of Warp travel, or something like it. They achieved a transcendental, almost godlike amount of power from harnessing the energy of the empyrean.

And then you know how the story goes; more power than mortal beings are meant to know blah blah blah, absolute knowledge is absolute power and absolute power corrupts absolutely yadda yadda yadda, and then the next thing you know Tzeentch has been born. And Tzeentch keeps the leftovers of his creator race around for one of a hundred different reasons; anything can be justified with Tzeentch by it being part of one of his master plans or split personalities.

What’s left now of the tzaangor are Chaos-ridden mutants hustled around by the new power in the universe; humans. They’re still surprisingly intelligent, but comparatively primitive next to their species in its prime. I like to imagine that since the species was so psychically gifted, Tzeentch’s birth wiped their intellects in an instant, like Slaanesh and the Fall of the Eldar. Just a lethal psychic shockwave that decimated billions, Watchmen squid style. It’s taken millennia for the tzaangor to redevelop their current level of intellect, and they live in fear with the constant knowledge that Tzeentch can take it away again at any time.

Now as for Khorne! …I got nothing. I think, by his nature as the god of bloodshed and murder, Khorne completely wiped out his progenitor species. He did not quit halfway through like the other Chaos Gods. The only thing I can assume about them is that, as Khorne is the oldest Chaos God, they were ancient. Maybe even older than the Old Ones and Necrons. If the War in Heaven wasn’t enough to create Khorne, then I’d like to know what was. Like, this was the Cain species; the first species to really get into warfare and unrestrained violence. They might not even have known the Warp existed until Khorne came screaming out of it. And that species is remembered now as the ground floor of the Skull Throne.

Anyway, that’s that screed scooped out of my brain.

[probablyasocialecologist]

The World Food Summit of 1996 approached food security through the principles of ensuring there is enough safe and nutritious food that can be accessed daily to meet healthy dietary needs and food preferences. By definition, this is a desirable and worthy goal. However, in the years since, food security has developed into a paradigm which does not question the underlying power dynamics and the reproduction of material conditions that make food insecurity a permanent feature of the global order. At its core, the food security paradigm deals only with access to food, without challenging the political and economic structures that determine and control access, as well as distribution.  By failing to address the root causes of hunger and famine, the food security paradigm makes it impossible to end hunger globally. Of course, many people worldwide possess food security, but this is restricted to increasingly limited geographic pockets. In terms of the people localised in one area, food vulnerability is influenced and determined by class, race, gender and, of course, citizenship status. Globally, “underdevelopment” and “de-development” lead to widespread food insecurity across areas. Another problem with the food security paradigm is that it is easily co-opted to generate partial answers that pose no threat to the corporate food system, or worse, that even open up new profit opportunities. Accelerated by other crises, the food security paradigm becomes ever more dependent on aid, be it through direct food delivery, cash transfers or small development projects that cannot compete with the food giants and their price-setting powers. In practice, a “science of food security” emerges, one which takes as its focus calories and the output that is compatible with precision agriculture having the aim to increase crop yields and to assist management decisions using high technology sensor and analysis tools. This model tends to be reliant on “Green Revolution” technologies that rely on chemical fertilisers and pesticides and that are tied to colonial projects and corporations, in order to optimise resources in aid response and/or development projects.  In this rationale, food insecurity can be addressed by reaching optimum yields of certain crops that should meet the demand for fats, fibres and protein. All of this is carefully managed and data-driven. Precision farming is advocated by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) with the objective of optimising, “agricultural value chains […] critical in advancing food and nutrition sufficiency without increasing the size of land under cultivation.” The framing of food that reduces it only to “optimal input” relegates vital elements of food production and the culture of eating, like territory ownership, taste, heritage, care, well-being and connection as secondary. This reductionist approach has, though, proved useful to corporate agriculture, since it reinforces the case for genetically modified crops (GMOs), more efficient fertilisers, and the standardisation of food production for market purposes. Advocates of plant breeding technologies (including GMOs and hybrid seeds) argue that government overregulation is an obstacle to achieving food security. Overregulation, as the argument goes, denies populations the opportunity to grow crops that have increased nutrient use efficiency and are more resilient to climate shocks. 

[...]

The paradigm of food security is about optimising productivity. It’s true that productivity matters – after all, feeding the world requires enormous quantities of food. But if productivity is approached solely as a technological problem, it reinforces the tendency to fragment the quantitative and qualitative aspects of food production and consumption. On the quantitative side, production for food security is viewed as a challenge of multiplication. Whereas division, that is, distribution of food, is left to logistical planning. This ignores what Raj Patel identified in his influential 2007 book Stuffed and Starved, as the bottleneck of power that concentrates international food distribution among a small set of corporations. This bottleneck excludes the poor and small-scale food producers from decision-making. It also normalises worrying tendencies, such as an overreliance on industrial animal exploitation as a protein source, which has direct health implications, as well as longer term consequences like the proliferation of new viruses, greenhouse gas emissions and inefficient use of water and soil.

28 May 2024

[zvaigzdelasas]

China’s economy is currently on the operating table, hunched over by surgeons, chest cavity splayed open, hooked up to a cardiopulmonary machine, surrounded by nurses staring at monitors flashing vital signs. It all looks rather grim.

This surgery, however, is not an emergency bypass. That would be too easy. China has had many of those already – stimulus packages, grand infrastructure projects and many rounds of directed lending.

Every two decades or so, going all the way back to the founding of the PRC in 1949, the surgeons get ambitious. These guys are mad scientists attempting a comic book trope – to create the ultimate superhero.

They want to inject super serum, replace skeletal calcium with adamantium and dose the patient with gamma rays, giving China the powers of shazams out the wazoo.[...]

In the lamented “pre-reform” era, China’s mad scientists engineered spectacular growth by increasing investment from a prewar 6% of GDP to 20% in the first Five-Year Plan, covering 1952-1957. This led industrial output to register a compound annual growth rate.

The Great Leap Forward accelerated this growth to 66% in 1958 and 39% in 1959 before crashing and burning in 1961 when mismanagement of communal farms and “backyard blast furnaces” caught up with the mad scientists.

Course correction starting in 1962 recovered all lost ground by 1965. According to economist Cheng Chu-Yuan, China’s GDP growth averaged 11% between 1952 and 1966, the eve of the Cultural Revolution. (T. C. Liu of Cornell and K. C. Yeh of the Rand Corporation have a lower estimate: 8%.)

More importantly, China built a full kit of infrastructure, machinery and equipment capable of driving future industrialization.[...]

Many analysts have a tabula rasa understanding of China’s reform era, as if there had been no economy before Deng Xiaoping. In reality, China’s industrialization started right after the formation of the PRC with some of the fastest growth recorded in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Even during the “low growth” Cultural Revolution, resources directed towards public health (for example, barefoot doctors) and primary education doubled life expectancy and quadrupled adult literacy by 1980 from pre-PRC levels.

The mad scientists are now at it again. They have about twenty years of new data not just on China but from the rest of the world. When Zhu Rongji was head surgeon, history had ended and markets reigned supreme. This time around, the surgeons are correcting for market irrationality and negative externalities. The next twenty years is again being determined on the operating table.

Three years ago, the surgeons pried open China’s chest cavity with the three red lines credit limits, instantly seizing the speculation driven property sector. Since then, they ripped out unnecessary organs like education companies, clamped the Ant Financial artery and eviscerated the video game industry. All of this has caused spasms in vital signs from lackluster growth to rising youth unemployment. Wondering whether China will or will not stimulate the economy next quarter or next year is missing the forest from the trees. For the next few years, China’s economy will still be under the knife and whatever adjustments will merely be anesthesiologists and technicians nominally dialing the drugs up and down and adjusting the heart-lung machine to maintain vital signs.

What are these mad scientists trying to achieve? We believe President Xi Jinping’s 2020 target of doubling China’s GDP by 2035 stands. That is an average growth rate of 4.7% for 15 years. But beyond just a numerical target, it is important to figure out what superpowers China is trying to acquire. And just as importantly, what Kryptonite factors China is attempting to inoculate itself against.

China wants America’s Silicon Valley, but regulated; Japan’s car companies, but electrified; Germany’s Mittelstand, but scalable; and Korea’s chaebol conglomerates, but without political capture. It wants to lead the world in science and technology, but without cram schools. A thriving economy, but with common prosperity. Industry, without air pollution. Digital lifestyle, without gaming addiction. Material plenty, without hedonism. Modernity, without its ills. This is, of course, a wish-list and unrealistically ambitious. But these mad scientists sure as hell are going to try. They’ve developed a taste for it.

In college, early into the semester, we went through a ritual called course exchange. Students gathered in an auditorium to swap classes after sampling lectures for three weeks – satisfaction was not guaranteed. The strategy passed down to underclassmen applied to both course exchange and significant others: “Add before you drop.”

China is undergoing – but perhaps botching – the same process with a more party-esque slogan, “Establish the new before abolishing the old.”

The surgeons have been on a tear gutting the old. The big kahuna is, of course, the property sector. But right behind are platform monopolies, private education, financial services and video games. The new has been playing catch-up, with 5G equipment, electric vehicles, photovoltaics and wind turbines being leading examples.

From all appearances, the Industrial Party is in ascendance and China will double down on climbing the manufacturing value chain. The Industrial Party is a political identity that believes industry, science and technology should determine China’s future. Adherents believe that China’s strength lie in the technical skills of her population and thus favor hard-science, high-tech industries as opposed to services and business model innovations.

Therefore, Chinese politicians, whatever their predisposition, must find a way to create space for this next generation of scientists and technicians to develop themselves. They cannot be confined to a production line at a Foxconn plant. Maintaining social stability means finding a use for future scientists and technicians, which means pursuing industrialization. Is there any other way? The key variable for determining the course of China’s future development is thus the massive number of talented technical and scientific workers.

If mistakes were made, it would have been in sequencing and in faith – dropping before adding is a poor strategy in both love and course exchange. China’s mad scientists may have been too confident that electric vehicles and renewable energy would be followed quickly by semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and commercial aircraft.

Perhaps they have reason to be confident. Planning for this surgery has been in the works since 2015 with the Made in China 2025 project. China has been steadily eroding imports of high value added intermediary goods like batteries, precision parts and electrical components, flipping trade with South Korea from deficit to surplus.[...]

China never properly transitioned from its Soviet era Material Product System (MPS) of national accounts to the United Nation’s System of National Accounts (UNSNA) standard, leaving out much of services from reported GDP.

We calculate that China accounts for 22-24% of global GDP and 20-23% of global consumption. We also calculate that household consumption is 50-55% of China’s GDP, in line with global averages. China should easily be able to grow at 4.7% through 2035 with only a modest increase in consumption’s GDP share (5 percentage points over 10 years) without upsetting global economic balances.

In the reform period prior to Xi, everything was sacrificed at the altar of economic growth. In the new era, growth has been walked down from 9.6% in 2011 to an average of 4.7% in the Covid years (2020-2023) as an increasing litany of issues were given precedence. Debt however, soared over this time from 175% of GDP to over 300%. What exactly did all that debt buy?

When Xi assumed leadership of China, he declared that inequality could not be allowed to increase further. Inequality is perhaps the major Kryptonite factor of the American economy which China wasted no time in matching as the economy roared with market reforms.

While still problematic, inequality, as measured by the Gini coefficient, has steadily fallen since 2010 largely as a result of massive investment in urbanization, pushing people into cities and pushing cities up the tiering ladder.[...]

China also poured resources into stamping out last-mile poverty. While most poverty alleviation in China was through economic growth, recalcitrant extremely poverty could only be eradicated by concentrated marshaling of resources, from relocating entire villages to weekly visits by social workers.[...]

Since peaking in 2012, air pollution in Beijing has been cut by over 60%, with Shanghai falling over 50%. China, which used to dominate the list of most polluted cities, now only claims one spot in the top 20. None of this came cheap, from installing scrubbers in smoke stacks to increasing renewables to moving heavy industry to strict emissions regulations for cars.[...]

Before Hu Jintao handed the reins to Xi, Hu warned delegates to the 18th Party Congress in 2012 that “[corruption] could prove fatal to the party… and [cause] the fall of the state.” The popular opinion in the West is that Xi ended China’s highly successful reform era because of an ideological bent. This is off the mark. Xi was brought in to clean house as the wheels were coming off from excesses of the reform era.

Throughout Xi’s decade in office, there has been no letup in his anti-corruption campaign. In 2022, a record 638,000 officials were punished for corruption. While there haven’t been any large scale ideological appeals to the public, it’s a different story within the 98-million-member party.

During this time, free market capitalism and liberal democracies also faced their own existential tests. Success or failure going forward will depend on whether liberal institutions remain intact in the West and whether party discipline can be maintained in China. What the PRC has had since 1949 is a governing party with the political autonomy to play mad scientist. [...]

Of course we live in the real world, not a comic-book world. The question in the real world has always been whether the economy can be engineered by mad scientists from the top down or is it best left to the invisible hand of the market? [...]

The standard economic opinion – against all evidence – is that China was economically stagnant before Deng’s market reforms. The thinking on this for the American economys is undergoing a transformation in egghead land – just how has neoliberal economics benefitted the American people over the past few decades?

In a Q&A exchange at a conference in Malaysia, Eric Li, the barbed-tongued venture capitalist, was asked, “Do you think top-down directives are sustainable in the long run?” To which he replied, “It’s the only thing that’s sustainable.… That’s why America is failing today.” After World War II, Li said, the Americans “lost the ability to do top-down design.”

Dec 2023

[ainadelothwen]

Netflix is a business, not an art studio. It has shareholders; it's concerned with the bottom line. It also has its root in big tech mentality, where everything is data driven. It looked at its metrics, crunched the data, and said the numbers no longer made sense for them (the show was expensive to produce). I won't bother regurgitating the viewership numbers etc; it's out there if you want a better analysis than what I can provide.

But what Netflix failed to capture or understand, or chose to ignore, or couldn't adequately monetize, was the surrounding and indirect impacts (economic, cultural, and otherwise) that Shadow and Bone had. It spawned numerous conventions appearances (e.g. Magic Con) and even standalone Grishaverse conventions (e.g. Into the Fold, A Storm of Crows and Shadows), merch, talks and public engagements.

There are many shows they've renewed that had great 28 day numbers, but failed to spawn even a fraction of a devoted fandom, or the rabid following or become a cultural fixture. Metrics are hard and it's easy to fall into the trap of measuring the wrong things, and drawing the wrong conclusions. I sometimes wonder and worry that we're heading into a world where our media is largely driven by easily consumed content that makes no impact whatsoever on our hearts and souls.