Business & Money

I’m thankful for this bull market. We’re currently enjoying one of the longest economic expansions in the post-war era.
I’m thankful for equity markets. As an individual, markets allow you to do your own research and due diligence on massive companies, small companies, companies across industries and geographies. And when you’ve decided where the opportunities are, markets allow you to place whatever sized bet is comfortable for you with a real chance to improve your lot in the world.
I’m thankful for compound interest. Like Einstein said, “compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world.”
I’m also thankful for crypto markets. Not because bitcoin is up over 800% for the year or Ethereum up 1000% (not complaining), but because of what the blockchain means for the future of the decentralized internet. It means you won’t have to manage username & password combinations across tons of sites and applications. It means frictionless payments and money transfer will be a real thing. It means we’ll have a store of wealth that lies outside of government controls and geographic restrictions. It means a few large companies won’t control your online identity. It means these things and so many more.
I’m thankful for marketplace business models that have brought lower prices, greater transparency, and more liquidity to so many verticals including transportation, travel, publishing, e-commerce, lending, and so many more.

Human Progress

I’m thankful that technology continues to deliver answers to some of our most vexing questions.
In an era when net neutrality seems in jeopardy, I’m thankful for companies like Tucows (TCX) and Pilot fiber for providing alternatives to the last mile monopolies (disclosure, I hold shares in TCX).
In an era of more frequent super storms, I’m thankful for mesh networks bringing connectivity to Puerto Ricans and others who have lost traditional cellular connectivity.
I’m thankful that genetic testing costs a few hundred to a few thousand dollars and not $1 million.
I’m thankful that genetic disorders like Down Syndrome, Tay-Sachs Disease, and Sickle Cell Anemia will be things of the past due to gene editing techniques.
I’m thankful that plant-based proteins and lab-designed meat might eradicate the wholesale slaughter of animals and factory farming. Similar to the way we think of slavery, genocide, fascism, and torture as demonstrable injustices that we’d rather delete from history, I believe the mass incarceration and destruction of farm animals might take a similar position in the history books for future generations.
I’m thankful for countries like China that are leading the charge to demand a sustainable energy future. Following their lead, renewable energy will continue to grow and displace carbon-based energy sources.
I’m thankful that the Trump white house has failed to enact many of their promises from the campaign trail. They stand no chance, in the long term, against free trade, globalization, and basic respect for other humans (women, immigrants, Muslims, etc).
I’m thankful that cars will soon drive themselves and I will be able to make productive use of time stuck in Thanksgiving traffic.
I’m thankful that there is a new religion on the block: the church of artificial intelligence. (jk, not thankful for this)
I’m thankful that robots can do backflips.

Philosophy

I’m thankful for the phrase “agree to disagree.” In a world of growing polarities, this might be the most important phrase in circulation. It’s an understanding that you can approach an opposing viewpoint without the expectation that you will necessarily change your mind. Simultaneously, however, it is also the expectation that you will approach that conversation with an open mind and a genuine desire to grow your understanding of the other side.
It is a genuine acceptance of your own ignorance to the perspectives of others. It’s admitting that you may not be aware of all of the facts and that your own experience in the world is that of just one individual in a sea of others.
It’s admitting that the more you learn about a subject, the more you realize just how much you don’t know.

My Latest Discovery

Lastly, but certainly not least, I’m thankful for discovering this newsletter as a channel to grow the depth of my relationship with all of you beautiful readers.
Thank you for sending me emails every week to share your thoughts on various topics (though I wish you would use the comments section ;).
Thank you for sending me recommendations and interesting pieces of content as you discover them.
Thank you for forwarding the newsletter to other incredible people and helping to grow the community. VIC would simply be shouting into the void without you.

It’s A Wrap!

Oh wait, I forgot one thing.
I’m thankful that Philly sports are back on the map! Let’s gooooooooo!