Referron V 2 - instructions in under 2 minutes

Download referron - easy to sign in - update your profile - send your business card - Refer a person to a business you know like and trust . - Track your connection and referral activity - All within 3 taps  

Is the aging population an issue or an opportunity?

Age expert, Jon Werner,  who runs a virtual accelerator, called silver moonshots, focussing on solving issues for the older adult, pointed out that 65 is the new 70... with life expectancy now about  75-85 (a few 100 years ago it was 50! ).

 #work  #innovation around #health #finance #education, #housing, #mobility #entertertainment and being an #olderadult is changing 

John pointed out an interesting bbc article  alking about the untapped potential of the longevity economy, written by Mari Shibato - 

Highlights from this article 

The baby boomers (with the youngest of us at 55  now aren’t keen to “get old and retire” 

The Aging  Population is growing

Over 80s are projected to triple, from 143 million in 2019 to 426 million in 2050.

The population aged 65 and older is growing faster than all other age groups, and global birth rates has been plummeting since the second half of the 20th Century (except in Africa) 

Life stages can be quantified in fairly equal measurements of 8000 days 

0 to 21, 

21 to 40 

40 to 65 

65 to 85 

If you make it to 65 years old, you have more than 50% chance you’ll make it over age 85 – 

.

The Boston Consulting Group projects that by 2030, the 55-plus population in the US will have accounted for 50%  all domestic consumer spending growth -  67% in Japan and 86% in Germany.

Governments are worried 

Ageing has generally been considered detrimental to a country’s economic health, since it reduces the workforce and increases burdens on healthcare systems.

At this year’s G20 meeting in Japan, Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said that an ageing population could pose “serious challenges” for central banks with governments around the world concerned about public systems of health care, pensions and social protection for older persons  blowing out as the population of retirees will increase. 

How can we “unlock” the World’s Fastest-Growing, Most Misunderstood Market.

As the population of elders increases and become healthier - this longevity should be a massive asset to society  . This is  a group of consumers, workers and innovators - who can still be active contributors to the economy.

Spending Power 

KPMG’s 2017 report of online consumers in 51 countries revealed that baby boomers spend the most online at $203 on average per transaction, compared to ‘tech-savvy’ millennials, who actually spend the least at $173 on average.

Prolonging employees’ working lives

Workers are living healthier, longer lives, and an ageing workforce can be an opportunity to reap what consultancy Deloitte calls the ‘longevity dividend’ – being able to boost economic productivity from older employees.

In Germany, more than 21% of the German population is older than 65 - who are being helped by improved work conditions, improved econometrics at work and  advances and support by AI, and VR - reducing the physical demands of the manufacturing process.

Giving jobs to the younger generation 

Looking at the demographic shift, the work of the 21-65 year olds seems to be cut out for them - focussing on “looking after the 0-21 and 65 plus aged groups.  

The 21-65 workforce will be shifting from a “manufacturing workforce” to a “service workforce” - making for a better planet. 

The universe seems to maintain its perpetual balance and flow ! 

Links 

bbc article 

Age expert, Jon Werner

Alpha DaRT is showing tumor shrinkage in 100% of cases.

Alpha Tau Medical an Israeli company, has developed “alpha DaRT”, an alpha radiation treatment is in clinical trials phase and is showing tumor shrinkage in 100% of cases.

How it works 

Alpha DaRT (Diffusing Alpha-emitters Radiation Treatment) treats the cancer cells without the  collateral damage to the surrounding area and the body as a whole. It provides a highly localized and effective treatment of solid tumors using alpha radiation. 

It has the capacity to destroy cancer cells, inducing irreparable double-strand breaks in cellular DNA.

THE ALPHA DaRT technology, enables the spread of alpha particles across entire tumors by utilizing the radioactive decay of an isotope called radium-224. The treatment is delivered by inserting into the tumor Alpha DaRT seeds which contain radium-224 atoms embedded into their surface. In the process of decay, radium-224 releases its alpha-emitting daughter atoms. 

These atoms diffuse to a range of several millimeters, delivering a high dose of alpha radiation along the way. The advantage of the alpha radiation characterizing Alpha DaRT is its extremely high “cancer-killing potential” combined with its short range of side-effects. 

These unique characteristics limit collateral damage to the surrounding healthy tissue while effectively destroying the tumor. Other radiation therapies that utilize beta, X-ray, and gamma radiation have longer path lengths that cause more collateral damage to tissue, and need to be dosed at higher levels to achieve the same local “cancer-killing-effect.”

The Initial Results 

In a recent study, Alpha DaRT was shown to be effective in humans for aggressive local, radiation-resistant and recurrent tumors of the skin and head & neck. It also demonstrated a very high level of safety for patients, causing no systemic toxicity, and only short-term mild, local toxicity.  The treatment led to tumor shrinkage in 100% of cases, and produced a complete response – total tumor destruction – in over 78% of cases! This sounds almost too good to be true.

Study results also showed that the Alpha DaRT possesses many attributes that can contribute to a positive overall patient treatment experience. 

These include:

• A single minimally-invasive outpatient procedure for insertion of the Alpha DaRT device, without need for any special shielding or an operating room,  

• A total treatment duration of only two weeks, where the patient can be at home and live their life normally, and

• Measurable tumor shrinkage in a matter of days

In addition to its value as a single-tumor treatment, Alpha DaRT has shown great potential in pre-clinical studies for the treatment of metastatic cancer, when combined with immunotherapy. Metastases are the primary mechanism of cancer death, so any treatment that can reduce the extent of metastatic growth will prolong patient survival and, it is hoped, reduce some of the suffering and dread that patients feel after a metastatic diagnosis.

Testing Alph DaRT around the world 

Many leading cancer centers around the world are now investigating Alpha DaRT for various tumor types, including breast and pancreas. The trials are taking place in locations including Israel, Canada, Japan, Russia, Italy and in the United States at prestigious institutions such as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York and Montreal University Hospital Center (CHUM).

The Company

The Alpha DaRT technology has been developed by an Israeli Medtech  Alpha Tau, founded by CEO Uzi Sofer in 2016, promising a treatment for millions of patients worldwide.

The technology had been developed under the leadership of two professors from Tel Aviv University: physics Prof. Itzhak Kelson, and immunology Prof. Yona Keisari.

Alpha Tau is growing rapidly, having expanded from fewer than 10 employees in 2016 to more than 40 in 2020. 

To support the growing demand for Alpha DaRT, the company is building global production facilities in Massachusetts, Israel and Japan. Key investors in Alpha Tau’s growth include Shavit Capital, OurCrowd, Medison Ventures, Alan Patricof and Sir Ronald Cohen.

Could Alpha DaRT be a major breakthrough? 

Inspired by  - Jerusalem Post - Hillel Fuld 

https://apple.news/AHDueGnukOD-Gb3Wfww0f0g

So what is 2020 and beyond looking like in the IT and Tech world?

The NextTech revolution. is all about the cloud says Dominic O’Hanlon , CEO of RHIPE .

It Ecosystems, Data , AI , Machine Learning, Data and Data analytics will be housed in the Cloud by AWS. Microsoft, IBM, Google all vying to get market share and upskill IT managers. 

CIO’s and decision makers are continually being pitched on why and which virtual server they should use and how they should use their virtual server! 

The virtual server with the most users is the winner. The name of the game is for these vendors driving consumption through whatever way it can. 

The way they will do this in the NextTech period - in my view - is training - by providing the best education, and upskilling users on a continual basis.... not only online, but blended and face to face. By providing users with certifications, and gamifying this usage! 

5 things that I can confidently call over the next 10 years - is 

1. Technology will be changing - and changing at such a rapid speed. New Languages, Apps , Processes and systems that are smarter , better  and easier are being developed and what was relevant yesterday is redundant today! 

2. Demand for service delivery skills will grow organisations have services running in the cloud, on desktops, laptops  and on their mobiles. 

Who and how will this data be managed and used?  

Will your team be able to represent your brand on their social networks? - that is where they are living . 

ITIL  is an acronym for Information Technology Infrastructure Library, is a set of detailed practices for IT service management that focuses on aligning IT services with the needs of business.  (This is a skill that organisations need and NextTech is fortunate to have Itvinder Mankoo - Australia’s leading trainer on ITIL sharing her knowledge with our clients.)

3. Creation of new Apps using  low-code and no-code app development will create a plethora of new apps - and teams will need to know how to use them

4. Cloud will bring more security challenges as they become more reliant on services hosted in the cloud, the more they allow remote access and the more collaboration tools are used.  A Cisco 2019 Asia Pacific CISO Benchmark Study, showed that security teams are suffering from overwhelm. They  are constantly putting out fires, rather than proactively building an effective security strategy. The bottom line is that Teams will need to be upskilled on Cybersecurity.

5. Management of various suppliers and various tools and apps  Organisations have to deal with multiple cloud suppliers, as well as various suppliers of software and hardware, and each vendor has its own risk. Supplier (vendor) management is a big thing.... and a specific skill that needs to be learned - Project and Process management..... 

So, where to from here?

For you to be able to recruit, train and retain key staff, you will need to provide continual training and for IT personnel - not only certifications in cloud, apps and security, but also to upskill them in the soft skills of leadership, management, business, sales , marketing, systems and providing a wow service. 

Join us as our guest at one of our NextTech forums  to see how you can make a difference to your team through collaboration, learning and growth 

www.nexttech.edu.au

Why business fail while others boom?

The death of most business is indifference. 

Companies fail because no one cares: not users, not employees, not investors, and certainly not the media. It’s death by a thousand shrugs. 

Why did the number 2 IT training company - New Horizons in Australia die last week - after 20 years of being the best franchiseeof the USA New Horizons Franchise? Why has the DDLS shareholders shareprice dived from 50c to 12c in the last 3 years since they purchased DDLS for $4.9m after it was previously sold for over $11m a few years before?

My view is what they are doing is stale, old and not focussed on their customers and certainly not focussed on their stakeholders. 

When you have Product Zietsgeist  , the product resonates with users not because it’s better, but because it feels extremely culturally relevant at that particular moment in time for a particular group of people. 

Users want it to win. Maybe because they hate the competitor with the “established ” product. 

Maybe it’s because the NextTech product appeals to a particular value or aspiration. 

Regardless of what drives your business -  it’s an unfair advantage that can separate winners from the also-rans. 

Product Zeitgeist Fit (PZF) we Call it the NextTech Fit (NXT)  is when a product or service resonate  with the mood of the times. 

What makes 

• users and employees want you to win
• investors want to invest 
• media and trend watchers want to write about you and 
• big companies want to but from you ?

What makes some things work, and others just don’t. 

It helps explain why something that seems really weird and awkward, like letting a total stranger sleep in your house, can become a global phenomenon like Airbnb , and why something that seems really clever, like a private social network, just don’t… yet. 

And it can help explain why a concept like online pet food delivery can blow up in a bad way in one era, then blow up in a really good way 15 years later.

When you’re riding the nexttech revolution, you’re able to activate the energy  from the four players that can change the trajectory of  your company:

• Advocates
• Engaged Employees
• Investor Base
• The tight media media 

When these four groups care about what you’re doing, impossible things suddenly become possible. It gives you the momentum to get started.

How do you get first users and first capital 

What’s the secret?

The fact is that people need a different motivation to try something new, something that connects with them emotionally rather than functionally. 

And let me tell you - know one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.

So here are a few PZF  examples that have grown by being in the right time at the right place.

Crypto

The financial crash in 2009 caused much anger and lack of trust Against the banks was palpable. 

As the decade went on, there was growing momentum to do something about those large platforms and companies that adversely affect our experiences and societies. 

It gave crypto the energy, excitement, and funding to get the flywheel spinning. There have been a lot of attempts at internet money before, but it was only in 2009 (when the Bitcoin whitepaper was published) that we really found that spark.

In the comments section of Bitcoins first code (above) Satoshi embedded a message about the financial bailouts. Though a precise motivation is unknown, the ethos around mismanagement of the traditional financial system fueled a lot of the enthusiasm around crypto in the early years. 

But here’s the thing about crypto - it’s still not that easy to use. Despite that, people are still using it, building on it, investing in it, and writing about it, allowing it to hold product zeitgeist or an NXT fit as it moves toward product market fit.

Clean meat

The revolution against climate change and the moral and ethical issues of industrial farming has boosted the idea of a veggie burger. 

The timing of the NextTech revolution is right 

But has anybody actually tried one of these burgers? Some are okay; some are (subjectively) disgusting; and there are open questions about the health benefits of them. 

Despite that, people are still lining up to buy them, talented scientists are still working on it, investors are still funding it, and big companies are still trying to partner with them. It’s not better than meat—yet—but it’s got a great chance to get there thanks to NXT product  - https://bsivc.blogspot.com/2019/11/meat-free-meat-raises-35m-from-blue.html

4 tests to spot  NextTech Product 

• “Nerd Heat”: Coined by my partner Chris Dixon, this is when the most talented, hardest working, and most in-demand people—the product managers, engineers, and data scientists—are so intrigued by a product that they’re working on it, and ate excited, enthused and engaged trying to make it work - to move it beyond the fringes to the mainstream. 

• The “Despite Test”: When people are using it  despite the fact that it’s not that user friendly or, in some cases, that it’s straight-up terrible (see examples above). It shows that the product has a line into something emotional, not solely functional. Wanted, not just needed.

• The “T-shirt Test”: If people with no connection to the company are wearing their t-shirts or putting their stickers on their laptops or wearing their socks, that  desire to associate with the idea indicates as much a movement as a product. 

• The “Eyebrow Test”: it’s when the people who have been working on those products, are so clearly elegant, and passionate - and.can see the imperfections  and problems as easy fixes 

The NextTech revolution is often   organized around a really compelling villain. The innovator and disruptor. They talk about why their  company matters, not just what it does. Their product remains authentic and outstanding and product decisions are connected with the mission. 

This is the NexTTech Mission 

“To help you create your generational legacy through 

Collaboration, Learning and Growth”

The team are  as connected with these ideas as the leader is

Because if you can get the PZF you’ve got an unquestionable advantage in getting your product or service global and scalable.

In Summary

Look for the things that are broken and terrible but that people still really care about.  

Look for the four tests: the raised eyebrows, the T-shirts, the nerd heat, and the people that are still using a product, despite its shortcomings. 

Look for the things that are reacting against the previous generation and resonating with the mood of the times. 

Ultimately, that’s where the NextTech future lies.

Join us at our next Nexttech Forum www.nexttech.edu.au

Inspired by 

D'Arcy Coolican's Summit talk "The Allure of Product Zeitgeist Fit". - Andreessen Horowitz

https://go.a16z.com/TRXQH0s0h000XEz00MHsIR0

Cybercrime can cause a midsize firm to go out of business

Mid-market companies may not think they are a target for cyber crime, but they are actually at the top of the list.

According to the October 2019 EYGlobal Capital Confidence Barometer, The 2 biggest fear that middle-market companies the have about cybersecurity is 

1. reputational damage. 
2. Second on the list is operational disruption.

This is no surprise, given the harm that cyber attacks have caused to many large brands around the world. 

 Those mid sized firms with between US$50m and US$3b in revenue — should be concerned about the reputational damage an attack can cause.

The EY Global Capital Confidence Barometer asked mid-market firms about their biggest barrier to using data as a competitive advantage: 27% said exposure to cyber threats is the biggest barrier, second only to increasing regulation at 28%. 

Lack of confidence in their security means they are afraid to monetize the data they have captured through channels such as customer profiling and targeted advertising.

They are also right to be worried about operational disruption, given the size of the potential financial impacts. And mid-market firms should be much more concerned than they are about all the different impacts of cyber attacks, as they are more vulnerable compared to larger organizations and typically have insufficient defenses. 

Cybercrime can cause a midsize firm to go out of business

The highly sophisticated, ever-changing nature of cyber crime makes it nearly impossible for mid-market companies with scant resources to keep abreast of the threats.

Many attackers aim to use mid-market firms as Trojan horses for attacks on larger companies. Targeting massive companies is relatively more difficult, because these organizations usually have dedicated cybersecurity teams and systems, so an easier way to attack them is through their suppliers.

 For example, an attacker might try to plant malicious code in the supplier’s application, which will then find its way into the larger company via their business relationship.

Although a breach of this nature would generate more negative publicity for the larger company, the mid-size company would likely suffer reputational and financial damage, as the companies it supplies may cancel contracts and blacklist it. It might not be as public, but it will be financially painful. In a worst-case scenario, this disruption could cause the mid-size firm to go out of business.

Another problem is that insufficient cyber defenses are leading some companies to lose competitive advantage. 

Large vulnerability

Every mid-size company we talk to knows that cybersecurity is an issue. But the size of the threat, and the time and resources needed to defend it, are major challenges for them. 

Many don’t have the funds or human capital to deal with the constantly shifting technologies involved.

This is exacerbated by an industry-wide deficit of cybersecurity talent, which leads mid-market companies to have a less informed understanding about what security and controls they need. Talent in cybersecurity is much rarer compared to systems implementation, development and maintenance.

Consequently, there are not enough people with the right skills to provide companies with customized advice at affordable prices, or even respond to issues. There is also insufficient data available to help mid-size firms establish the right levels of control.

A mid-market company should integrate cybersecurity requirements across the organization as they design their business and as they continue to innovate. 

Kris Lovejoy EY Global Advisory Cybersecurity Leader

Regional issues

Some regional variations surfaced in the EY Global Capital Confidence Barometer. For example, mid-market companies in China were more concerned about the threat of regulatory penalties linked to cybersecurity than those in other countries. 

This isn’t surprising, given the strict China Internet Security Law that went into effect in 2017.

 

Another regional issue we see is that most of the available cybersecurity budget and talent is in the US. In other markets — including South and Central America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia‑Pacific — these resources are much more limited. Considering that most of the world’s population lives in these areas, this creates a huge mismatch.

Also, many mid-market companies in the US and Europe use outsourced technology or support based in emerging markets, where there is limited cybersecurity talent or capability. In fact, much of the affordable technological innovation in the market now comes from such countries.

It is therefore relatively easy for attackers to bury or hide themselves in such small emerging-market companies and wait for a mid-market company to acquire their services. In this way, the mid-market firm can suddenly find that they themselves have been the victim of a Trojan horse attack.

Again, the mid-market companies we work with have seen this happening and know it is an issue. But they generally do not know how to respond, and they do not have a security plan fit for their businesses. In most cases, the robust cyber plan is developed and implemented after a breach.

The smaller companies that mid-market firms buy from are even less likely to have good cybersecurity. As a result, mid-market firms must be sure to check before buying any software or services, as well as before making any acquisitions of smaller companies.

Mid-size firms are often innovative, which tends to mean they rely on contract resources but do not always check the quality of the code they are integrating. Also, some assume that, when buying network connectivity, IT services and cloud applications, cybersecurity comes installed. But that is not necessarily the case. Such vendors can provide those services, but mid-size firms must check in advance before there is any integration of systems or data. In fact, they must not assume that any of their partners — whether core technology suppliers or not — has the right level of security.

Because of these vulnerabilities, we cannot emphasize enough how large a target mid-market companies present to attackers. If your company provides services to bigger companies — for example, updating hardware in smart meters — you may not think you are a prime target of cyber crime. In fact, you are at the top of the list. You must think about it less from a size or industry perspective and instead ask: “What risk do I pose to others?”

If your company provides services to bigger companies, you may not think you are a prime target of cyber crime. In fact, you are at the top of the list.

Ryan P. Burke EY Global Growth Markets Leader

Security by design

It’s clear that mid-market companies need to invest more in this area, given the size of current and potential threats. But it is not just about size of spend — there is not necessarily a correlation between investment level and security success. The organizations that are best prepared have made security part of everything they do. In other words, they don’t think in terms of a dedicated budget; rather, they design security inside every new product, procurement and business service from the beginning as a competitive differentiator. This makes their security much more efficient and means they will spend less over time.

They need the right advice to do this. Mid-market companies often lack the resources that larger companies have for cybersecurity. We therefore do not advise that they major in cybersecurity, but instead build relationships with partners who can show them what good cybersecurity looks like and help them implement controls and assess them regularly. In most instances, you can outsource or co-source many of these services today.

Don’t be afraid

Our most important advice on cybersecurity is to not ignore these issues or let them overwhelm you. Do not be afraid to learn and ask questions. 

That’s much better than waiting for someone to tell you what to do because you have been breached or because additional regulation has been forced upon you. Invest in software development and application security testing. 

Conduct additional penetration testing on your systems to identify your security gaps. Outsource (or co-source) core security services to trusted providers with the skill and capacity to protect your business.

Our experience with middle-market companies is that they are often reactive rather than proactive — they do not get serious about cybersecurity until after they have been attacked. 

But if they address these issues sooner, it will cost them far less in the long run.

Creativity is when the rubber hits the road

Knowledge is in abundance..... experience is inevitable.... as long as you exist, you will experience.

The rubber hits the road when you create.

So what is Creativity?

Creativity is the process of bringing something new into being.

Creativity is characterised by the ability to perceive the world in new ways, to find hidden patterns, to make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, and to generate solutions. 

Creativity is the ability to tap into your or your teams ‘inner’ pool of resources – knowledge, insight, information, inspiration and all the fragments populating our minds –  and to combine them in extraordinary new ways.

Creativity requires passion and commitment. You need to be able to take risks and progress through discomfort and failure  to get to the finish line.