The Woulds of Wall Street Flashcards
1
Q
Wooly Mammoth
What is the Wooly Mammoth?
What is it, how it is in danger and restoration attempts
A
- Extinct species of mammoth
- Lived from the Pleistocene until the Holocene epoch
- One of the last mammoth species
- Soft tissues and DNA remain, allowing the possibility of resurrection
- A resurrected calf would have the DNA of a wooly mammoth but the fetal environment of an elephant surrogate mother
- Another method is artificially inseminating an elephant egg cell with mammoth DNA, the resulting creature being a hybrid
- There are questionable ethics related to this
- There is not a lot of natural habitat left for them, as well as the potential of harming a surrogate mother
- The introduction of unknown pathogens is also a risk
- There are some claims that wooly mammoths have survived in small herds in Siberia, but there is no exact evidence for this
2
Q
Pyrenean Ibex
What is the Pyrenean Ibex?
What it is, danger and restoration attempts
A
- Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica
- Also known as the bucardo
- This species went extinct in January 2000, but other species of ibex remain
- The last of the species, Celia, had skin biopsies taken and preserved
- Two Spanish and one French teams worked on cloning the bucardo
- The infant was born but died several minutes later due to a lung defect
- However, genetic material from Celia is still preserved for potential future attempts
- This was the first attempt at reviving an extinct species
3
Q
Passenger Pigeon
What was the passenger pigeon?
What was it, danger, restoration attempts
A
- Extinct species of pigeon endemic to North America
- Died mostly due to hunting, as well as habitat decline and decline of the large flocks it is used to
- Over 1.5 thousand skins are preserved (as well as 16 skeletons)
- One problem with this is that DNA of museum specimens was harmed and damaged
- George Church suggested piecing together the genome using DNA from other species
- Revive and Restore is currenlty working on transferring this DNA into the eggs of similar pigeons to breed birds similar to the Passenger pigeon
4
Q
Moa
What is the moa?
What is it, danger, resoration attempts
A
- Order dinornithiformes
- A group of extinct flightless birds formerly native to New Zealand
- There were nine species
- After the arrival of the Polynesians sometime before 1300, the birds were all quickly hunted to extinction
- It has been mentioned as a candidate for cloning
- DNA extraction has been mainly been done by Japanese genecist Ankoh Yasuyuki Shirota
5
Q
Dodo
What is the dodo?
What is it, danger, restoration attempts
A
- Raphus cucullatus
- Extinct flightless bird endemic to Mauritius
- It did not fear humans, so was easy prey for sailors who soon hunted it to extinction
- Resurrection my be possible thanks to Beth Shapiro
- They are trying to use genome editing to change the nicobar pigeon into a dodo
6
Q
Apple Restructuring Article
How is Apple restructuring?
Jobs, departments, other changes, reasons
A
- Steve Jobs had been the general manager of the Macintosh division, now will only be chairman of the board
- Urgent attemp by John Sculley, president and chief executive, as the growing feeling on Wall Street and Silicon Valley that Mr. Sculley needs to turn the company around
- Scaled back advertising, closed factories for a week, eliminated the Lisa computer and layed off over 1,600 people
- The move eliminates the Macintosh and Apple II divisions and replaces with an operations division and a sales and marketing division (now led by William V Campbell)
- Delbert Yocam is the new group executive in charge of product manufacture
- Jean-Louis Gassee is replacing Michael Murray as head of product development
- Friction between Sculley and Jobs stemmed from complex work issues
- Analysts say that the restructuring is logical, and also may help morale prolems, like the Apple II group that thought the Macintosh group was prioritized
- Apple also had some setbacks in attempts to seel computers, and did not find a strategic partner
7
Q
Functional Organization Article
How is Apple a functional organization?
Changes, expectations for leaders and divisions
A
- When Steve Jobs returned to Apple, it had a conventional structure, so as a returning CEO, fired all of the general managers of all business units
- Apple retains the structure today
- Some make the case that as firms grow they must shift from a functional to a multidivisional strucutre, but Apple proves that this conventioanl approach is not necessary
- Apple’s main purpose is to create items that benefit people, so Apple relies on a structure that centers on functional expertise, and it would be undercut if short-term profit was the overriding criteria for judging investments and leaders
- Individual and team reputations act as a control mechanism in placing bets, like Paul Hubel who was over his skis but the risk was successful
- There are three leadership characteristics: deep expertise where experts lead experts (like Roger Rosner), immersion in the details to know the details of the organization three levels down, and willingness to collaboratively debate, where specialist teams need to hold strong views but compromise to reach decisions
- As the company grew, structures had to evolve, but is has been disciplined about limiting the number of senior positions
- Leaders now may not know all the details, and need to have a learner’s mindset
- This functional organization is rare, if not unique, among very large companies
8
Q
Alphabet
What is Alphabet?
Basics
A
- Alphabet is the world’s third-largest technology company by revenue and one of the world’s most valuable companies
- Created through a restructuring of Google on October 2, 2015,[4] and became the parent company of Google and several former Google subsidiaries
- It is considered one of the Big Five American information technology companies, alongside Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft
- The establishment of Alphabet Inc. was prompted by a desire to make the core Google business “cleaner and more accountable” while allowing greater autonomy to group companies that operate in businesses other than Internet services
- Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin announced their resignation from their executive posts
- CEO role to be filled by Sundar Pichai, also the CEO of Google
- Page and Brin remain employees, board members, and controlling shareholders of Alphabet Inc
9
Q
Meta
What is Meta?
Basics
A
- Doing business as Meta
- Formerly named Facebook, Inc
- The company owns and operates Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp, among other products and services
- Meta has also acquired Oculus (which it has integrated into Reality Labs), Mapillary, CTRL-Labs, and a 9.99% stake in Jio Platforms
- The company additionally endeavored into non-VR hardware, such as the discontinued Meta Portal smart displays line and presently partners with Luxottica through the Ray-Ban Stories series of smart glasses
- Parent company Facebook, Inc. rebranded as Meta Platforms, Inc
- To “reflect its focus on building the metaverse”
- An integrated environment linking the company’s products and services
10
Q
X
What is X?
Basics
A
- Previously Twitter
- Elon Musk acquired Twitter
- Gaining control of the platform and becoming the chief executive officer (CEO)
- The platform has been criticized for enabling the increased spread of disinformation, hate speech, antisemitism, homophobia, transphobia and child pornography
- Linda Yaccarino succeeded Musk as CEO
- Musk remaining as the chairman and the chief technology officer
- Twitter would be rebranded to X and that the bird logo, along with the name Twitter, would be retired.
- Although the service is now called X, the primary domain name ‘twitter.com’ remains in place
- With the ‘x.com’ URL redirecting to that address
11
Q
Qwikster
What is Qwikster?
Basics
A
- Netflix announced that it would separate its existing subscription plans into two separate plans
- One covering the streaming and the other DVD rental services
- Netflix expanded to countries in Latin America
- Netflix announced its intentions to rebrand and restructure its DVD home media rental service as an independent subsidiary called Qwikster
- Separating DVD rental and streaming services
- Netflix announced that it would retain its DVD service under the name Netflix and that its streaming and DVD-rental plans would remain branded together
- Citing customer dissatisfaction with the split
12
Q
Uber
What is Uber?
Rebranding
A
- Former Uber engineer Susan Fowler reported being sexually harassed by her boss
- Amit Singhal, Uber’s Senior Vice President of Engineering, was forced to resign after he failed to disclose a sexual harassment claim against him that occurred while he served as Vice President of Google Search
- Uber fired over 20 employees
- Emil Michael, a senior vice president who suggested that Uber hire a team of opposition researchers and journalists, with a million-dollar budget, to “dig up dirt” on the personal lives and backgrounds of journalists who reported negatively on Uber, specifically targeting Sarah Lacy, editor of PandoDaily, who accused Uber of sexism and misogyny in its advertising
- Uber agreed to pay a total of $7 million to settle claims of gender discrimination, harassment, and hostile work environment
13
Q
Open AI
What is OpenAI?
2024 changes
A
- OpenAI announced the formation of a new Collective Alignment team that would aim to implement ideas from the public about how to ensure its models would “align to the values of humanity.”
- The company wanted the program to be considered separate from its commercial endeavors. The move came amid intense scrutiny from regulators around the world
- On February 15, 2024, OpenAI announced a text-to-video model named Sora. They have plans to release it to the public, but it will not release soon
- However, it is available for red teams for managing critical harms and risks
- OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman were sued by Elon Musk who accused them of prioritizing profits over public good, a move away from OpenAI’s original mission
- OpenAI in a court filing said it was doing just fine without Elon Musk after he left the company
14
Q
Air India Article
What was the Air India remodel?
Group, change, logo
A
- Tata Group bought the debt-ridden airline
- The new logo includes golden, red and purple colors to replace the red swan
- CEO Campbell Wilson said that the company will not fully remove the airline’s mascot of a cheerful Maharaja, but they would move beyoung it
- Tata spent millions to update the airline’s fleet, reaching a deal with Europe’s Airbus and Boeing, to bring the airline to an acceptable level
- The widebody planes will be refurbished by 2025
- Air India was also building new lounges at the Delhi and New York airports
15
Q
Bard Article
What was the Bard remodel?
Basics
A
- The Google generative AI chatbot Bard is being renamed to Gemini
- The details came as part of an upcoming changeloge spotted by Dylan Roussel
- The name is changing, but the core features will remain intact
- Including an evolved UI
- First available in 150 countries, first best working in English
- Supposed to be better at complex coding, logical reasoning and creative collaboration queries
- Google will finally bring a dedicated Gemini app to Android, then rollin gout globally except Europe
- Will integrate with Gmail, Maps and YouTube
- Gemini is also finally coming to Canada and will release as an app
- Onn iOS, Gemini will be available within the Google app
16
Q
Dunkin
What was the Dunkin’ rebrand?
Basics
A
- Customers around the world naturally and affectionately referring to the brand as “Dunkin’
- One of many steps to transform itself into the premier beverage-led, on-the-go brand, the company today unveiled its new branding at its Global Franchisee Convention that officially recognizes its name as simply “Dunkin’”
- The new branding conveys the company’s focus on serving great coffee fast, while embracing Dunkin’s heritage by retaining its familiar pink and orange colors and iconic font
- Going forward, the new “Dunkin’” logo will also be featured on exterior and interior signage on all new and remodeled stores in the U.S. and, eventually, internationally
- The brand tested the new logo extensively, including on exterior signage at Dunkin’ locations featuring its next generation design concept over the past year.
17
Q
T-Mobile
What was the t-mobile rebrand?
Color
A
- A new brighter magenta was chosen
- The old magenta was considered old and uninteresting
- Now, it is brighter and conveys the speed of the network
18
Q
Pringles
What is the Pringles rebrand?
Basics
A
- The logo changed to have a more simplified face and different logo
- The original Mr. P was designed by Arch Drummond in New York
- Since then, the moustachioed character has become synonymous with the snack brand, and has even guest-starred on The Simpsons
- While Mr. P has had six makeovers since launching, this rebrand marks the first change in 20 years in the UK
- Pringles brand design director Pete Matthews says that retaining this “iconic look and feel” was integral in the refresh.
19
Q
Gap
What was the Gap rebrand?
Basics
A
- Changed back after one week
- The old Gap logo disappeared pretty much overnight
- A new logo that featured a much smaller dark blue box and the ‘Gap’ name written in bold, black Helvetica font
- New logo was designed by a leading New York based creative agency, Laird and Partners
- Gap’s vice president of corporate communications, Bill Chandler, when asked about the change, said, “We believe this is a more contemporary, modern expression. The only nod to the past is that there’s still a blue box, but it looks forward”
- A spokesperson for Gap added that the new logo was intended to signify Gap’s transition from “classic, American design” to “modern, sexy, and cool.”
20
Q
Leeds United
What was the Leeds United rebrand?
Basics
A
- Leeds United unveiled their new club crest to celebrate their centenary year in 2019
- The new crest was the result of six months of research, with 10,000 people consulted
- The club faced immediate backlash from fans
- Supporters made their voice loud and clear as over 77,000 people signed a petition to stop the launch of the new crest, somewhat overshadowing the 10,000 who had been consulted
- It’s also worth bearing in mind that Leeds United’s Elland Road stadium holds 37,890 people, so a lot of fans were unhappy, to say the least.
- However, the intentions for the new Leeds crest were sincere
- As Managing Director, Angus Kinnear explained in an interview with Radio Yorkshire’s Tom Carnduff, the salute had become a sign of unity between the club, the players and the fans
- The crest embraced this, and put fans at the heart of the club’s new identity
21
Q
Royal Mail
What was the Royal Mail rebrand?
Basics
A
- The Royal Mail was rebranded as Consignia, but it did not last long
- “The new name describes the full scope of what the Post Office does in a way that the words ‘post’ and ‘office’ cannot,”
- Royal Mail’s then-chief John Roberts unveiled the results of a £2m rebrand, adding that the “modern, meaningful and entirely appropriate” name was suited to the company’s aspirations of becoming an international postal operator
- The public did not agree and just 16 months later Consignia was renamed Royal Mail plc, reversing what is considered one of the most disastrous corporate rebranding efforts in recent history
- The strategist who led the Consignia rebrand later defended it in an interview with the BBC, explaining why the name was chosen
- Keith Wells, who was the director of Dragon Brands, said: “It’s got consign in it. It’s got a link with insignia, so there is this kind of royalty-ish thing in the back of one’s mind
- And there’s this lovely dictionary definition of consign which is ‘to entrust to the care of’. That goes right back to sustaining trust, which was very important.”
22
Q
Martha Harper Article
Who was Martha Matilda Harper?
Who she was and what she did
A
- Franchises are a popular business model
- Canadian/American antreprenour
- Her hair salons, Harper shops, changed the way that women treated their hair, like African-American counterpart Madam C.J. Walker
- Born into poverty in Ontario, she worked as a house servant, then moved alone to Rochester, New York, still working as a domestic worker where she used Moscano Tonique to dress her employer’s hair
- She opened a beauty salon, with a solid plan
- It was quite new, she was the first female member of the chamber of commerce in the city, but it was a success
- Christian Science got her back on her feet, and maintained this throughout her life
- Harper’s approach to beauty focused brining out natural beauty in customers, also branching out to massages, connecting to Christian Science
- She introduced franchising of Harper Method Shops, mostly run by women, with about 500 Harper Shops around the world
- Harper is credited with inventing the reclining shampoo chair and shampoo basin, but unlike Moscano Tonique she did not patent them
- As she got older she turned over running it to her husband, Robert McBain, but he tried changing it with waves and colors, hurting the feel, selling out the company to a number of different purchasers
