Curated micro-notes — what we're noticing, and why it matters.
The Draghi Report on EU competitiveness highlights a critical gap: Europe produces promising early-stage founders but struggles to scale them. The venture capital per capita disparity—$8,000 in Silicon Valley versus $400 in Munich—is not merely financial. It shapes ambition, risk tolerance, and the very conception of what is possible.
Forty percent of large companies report productivity drops in recent years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows US labor productivity falling since 2009. Yet technological advancement continues unabated. The gap is not in innovation but in integration.
1.2 million tons of aluminum are exported from the EU rather than recycled domestically. The narrative of 'scrap scarcity' persists because it serves incumbent interests. Entrepreneurial redesign of material flows could unlock significant productivity gains.
A London-based aerospace company has secured 1,700 orders for a helicopter that doesn't yet exist. Community-based capital formation—building order books before products—represents a paradigm shift in how ventures can 'bend time' and de-risk development.
