Contrarian: The Middle

I think the contrarian bet now is The Middle. Everyone is convinced that the Middle is dead, that only high or low-end matters. Either Niemans or WalMart. And that consumers are creating their own middle by averaging the high and the low – a pair of Seven Jeans and a Hanes T. And WalMart and Target are all over this. And McKinsey and BCG.

Meanwhile, the true Middle (i.e. Gap and GM) is universally hated. And when something is universally hated, it is worth looking at closely.

Idea for Googe Labs

When you type in a stock ticker in Google you get a quote and price chart. The idea: when you type in a guitar chord like "A minor" you get a picture with the fingering of the chord, like this:

The Death of Granite

Kitchen designs go through trends. It is easy to pick out a 1970s and 1980s style kitchen. Just as easy, soon, you will be able to pick out a 90s/00s kitchen: it will be the one with the granite and stainless steel. The late 2000's will welcome bamboo, soapstone and mosaic tile.