Why Starbucks Needs Henry Ford

With the Starbucks Latte menu, success has the potential for failure because the more they make, the longer customers have to wait.

How Our Work-From-Home Habits Have Changed

The NY Fed tells us that remote work has stuck: For services (blue) and manufacturing (mustard), a relatively substantial number of us remain remote:   But it has been disruptive. Let’s see how. Work-From-Home Pre-pandemic There is much more than…

Why a Starbucks Macchiato Is Like a Model-T Ford

Whether looking at coffee or cars, at Macchiatos or Model-T’s, producers care about taking fewer steps in the cafe and the factory.

The Service Side of Gasoline Prices

With gasoline prices above the national average in New Jersey and Oregon, we can ask if their full service gas stations are one reason.

How Broadway Shows Catch a Cost Disease

A basic part of Broadway economics is the “cost disease” that plays “catch” from higher wage industries that benefit from more productivity.

Social Media’s Hidden Cost

Ranging from individuals to the entire economy, the cost of social media generally and of Facebook specifically ripples in many directions.

What a Difference a Fan Makes…Maybe

This week, during the first five days of the 2021 Australian Open, the stadium was packed…by pandemic standards. It was 50 percent occupied with up to 30,000 fans. Then, authorities declared a snap lockdown because of a Covid outbreak. The…

The Covid-19 Test That Does More With Less

Because of productivity gains from Covid-19 pool testing, the Michigan State University’s 67,000 students can return to school more safely.

Why One-Size-Fits-All Never Does

Whether it’s a piano, voice recognition, or office temperature, when designers say one-size-fits-all, they are not quite right.

The Inventions That Mattered Most

Through a new look at invention history, we can identify the waves of innovation and see which ones were most influential.