Marc Rubinstein writes about Afterpay, which was bought recently in Square for $29 billion: “Afterpay is a global pioneer in the growing Buy Now Pay Later market. It was founded in 2014 by Australian neighbours, Anthony Eisen and Nick Molnar…Whatever the reason, Buy Now Pay Later is a useful way for merchants to convert debit-sized baskets into credit-sized baskets with no incremental risk and only slightly higher cost.”
NYT on mental skills training: “One of the most popular mental skills techniques is imagery training, where athletes picture themselves executing key plays — driving a soccer ball toward a goal or reeling off a flawless dive — in the hours, days, weeks and months before a big competition while calling the sounds, smells and atmosphere of competition to mind…If you have an upcoming challenge, like giving a speech, you can use this strategy by imagining yourself reeling off the talk from start to finish, incorporating as many sensory details as you can. What will it feel like to stand on the podium? What kinds of sounds will you hear in the auditorium?”
Yamini Aiyar: “The long-term challenge for India remains finding its way toward an employment-intensive growth trajectory. This will require more than the current policy toolkit of extended credit guarantees and bulldozing reforms, as was attempted through farm laws. Perhaps it is worth acknowledging that there are no clear pathways. From factor market reforms, to understanding and responding to the unique supply constraints, including difficulties that confront the female labour force, to overcoming barriers to scale experienced by small and medium enterprises, each of these challenges requires careful deliberation and coordinated policy action between sectors of the economy and between the Centre and state governments. Employment-intensive growth needs State investment in human capital, in markets and in enabling regulation. But first, and above all, the government needs to acknowledge the deep structural crisis that it is staring at.”
