Based on empirical evidence and ideas from experimental and behavioural economics, economist Dan Ariely describes common tendencies that lead individuals and groups towards patterns of irrationality and decision making traps, in his book Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions. Continue Reading …
Theranos, the biotech startup that once promised revolutionary blood test technologies to the world, came to an end after evidence of its fraud finally came to bear. Journalist John Carreyrou unravels the rise and downfall of the company, once valued at $9B, in his book Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup. This post summarises a few factors that enabled Theranos’ rise, and several red flags that warranted greater scrutiny from cautious investors (in hindsight). Continue Reading …
Effective communication is almost always a critical for success in business. Matt Abrahams, organisational behaviour lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business, outlines several communication techniques and exercises to assist with presentations and public speaking. Continue Reading …
In his book, The Myth of the Rational Voter, Economist Bryan Caplan outlines four systematic biases to explain why democracies choose bad policies. Continue Reading …
In a speech to Harvard University in 1995, Charlie Munger presented a framework, based on his lifetime’s observation of human behaviour, to describe common causes of patterned irrationality and misjudgement in human decision making. Continue Reading …