Gary, yes I apologize if my post regarding investors ignoring "paradigm shifts" (I hate that term but it is appropriate here) came off as being directed at you. Others were complaining about you and I just thought Id chime in with, "Oh well, maybe hes one of those"! heh.
Anyway regarding Amazon, I used it as an example but Im not sure its a good one of an infrastructure based company. It may be, I just dont know yet (Im looking into it). However peapod (groceries) is really interesting to me and Id like to know what their plan is. Anyway the thing about Books and Groceries, is these are businesses where transportation (aka logistics) accounts for a huge amt of cost of sales.
This in opposition to Dell, etc that sell a high value product. Transportation is a component of SCM, but no one has really tackled the beast yet (I dont think Amazon has either), but IF they do, then Amazon will be able to sell books for significantly cheaper than anybody else for a long time (theres no off the shelf trans sw really so its another Dell-like grow your own approach to automation).
Your mining analogy, I dont know, this is the trap I fall into when trying to discuss this with those with differing points of view. Im not sure what you are saying. I would say that if in the gold rush miners needed tools, and some companies sprung up that provided them tools, then that would be a reasonable business, but if ONE company actually sold tools from anywhere in the world because that one company had its own trains dedicated to the delivery of these tools and due to efficiencies and global currency etc was also able to sell them cheaper, then that company would be valued far above the others appropriately, correct? But then again you have the question of how long it will take the others to come up with the transportation technology themselves.
BTW I welcome dissenting arguments from anybody out there but please try to understand the concept of internal automation as a value proposition before you send me a msg, thanks
Michelle |
