Archive - Gad’s Newsletter

Lost Luggage: The Economics and Operations Behind Misplaced Bags

Traveling with checked baggage is a probabilistic bet.

Jan 19 • Gad Allon

Is Mercor the Future of the (White Collar) Gig Economy?

The gig economy has traditionally meant platforms like Uber, Upwork, or Fiverr connecting people to short-term jobs.

Jan 12 • Gad Allon

Jim Beam’s Year-Long Production Pause – What’s Behind the Bourbon Slowdown?

Jim Beam, one of America’s most iconic bourbon makers, has announced an unprecedented move: it will pause whiskey production for an entire year at its…

Jan 5 • Gad Allon

December 2025

Uber’s 2025 Reorg: Platform Strategy Meets Conway’s Law

I travel constantly.

Dec 29, 2025 • Gad Allon

Why Growth Requires Discomfort

When I run marathons, my mantra is “Comfort is the biggest drug.”

Dec 22, 2025 • Gad Allon

The Real Cost of Knowledge Worker Attrition

I am pretty sure that I am one of the few faculty members at Wharton who teach undergraduates, MBAs, Executive MBAs, and PhD students all in the same…

Dec 15, 2025 • Gad Allon

Kroger’s Retreat from Robotic Warehouses Reveals the Limits of Grocery Automation

Kroger, one of America’s largest grocery chains, recently announced a dramatic shift in its online grocery strategy: it will close three of its…

Dec 8, 2025 • Gad Allon

AI’s Great Infrastructure Boom: Bullwhip or Building the Future?

I tend to avoid writing about topics that others are already discussing.

Dec 1, 2025 • Gad Allon

November 2025

Sonder’s Sudden Collapse: What Went Wrong?

This Week’s Focus: The High Cost of Scaling the Wrong Way

Nov 24, 2025 • Gad Allon

Smiles and Sales: The Economics and Oddities of Retail’s “10-Foot Rule”

This Week’s Focus: The ROI of a “Hi!” and a Smile

Nov 17, 2025 • Gad Allon

Modernizing the American Industrial Base: Tacit Knowledge, Comparative Lessons, and the SCALE Challenge

This Week’s Focus: Relearning How to Build in America

Nov 10, 2025 • Gad Allon

Cloud Crash and Factory Fire: Twin Crises Expose Fragile Supply Chains

This Week’s Focus: Fragility in the Cloud and on the Ground

Nov 3, 2025 • Gad Allon

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