This week in what we’re reading: Innovation vs. Tradition, the pursuit of happiness or meaning and brands taking a stand on our public lands from NYT, Business Insider & more.
We’re always on the lookout for big ideas that challenge the status quo, reveal new insights and champion our healthiest and most fulfilling future.
Here’s what we’re reading this week that help us (and you) do just that:
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Why the CVS-Aetna Merger Could Benefit Consumers (The Upshot, NYTimes blog)
Currently, cutting out the middleman is the fashionable business model these days. Warby Parker disrupted the prescription eyewear industry by designing its spectacles in-house and taking its products direct to consumers. In similar fashion, mattress startup Casper and travel luggage brand Away have also found success. Could this model work for the healthcare industry too? The Upshot explores.
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Patagonia, REI, and the Politics of ‘The President Stole Your Land’ (The Atlantic)
In today’s politically polarizing climate, brands have two choices: take a stance and risk being judged, or opt out of the conversation completely and risk being judged. In doing so (or not), some brands escape harsh judgment while others don’t fare so well. Why? The Atlantic takes a closer look.
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A Lesson About Happiness from a Holocaust Survivor (Business Insider):
On happiness, Viktor Frankl, a notable psychiatrist, neurologist and Holocaust survivor wrote, “It is a characteristic of the American culture that, again and again, one is commanded and ordered to ‘be happy.’ But happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue. One must have a reason to ‘be happy.'” Click through to read about the distinction between happiness and meaning, including the case for the pursuit of the latter than the former. Then, tell us what you think in the comments.
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Traditionalism vs. Innovation (Knowledge @ Wharton blog)
With advances in technology quickening and disruptive startups dominating headlines, tradition feels like a dirty word in the business world. However, research from Wharton management professor Laura Huang indicates that there are times when tradition tops innovation. Learn more about where both approaches fit into problem solving at the link.