A HIGH-TECH FUEL SOURCE FOR CAMPERS The BioLite CampStove 2 The camping season is in full swing. Whether you prefer hopping into an RV with your family or backpacking with some friends, the gear you pack
is a crucial factor in determining how much fun you have. Items that perform multiple tasks help you lighten the load when space is at a premium. Perhaps no camping accessory is as versatile and useful as the BioLite CampStove 2. The BioLite CampStove 2 is a portable stove that creates controllable smokeless flames using an internal combustion engine. All you have to do is round up some kindling, drop it in the combustion chamber, and ignite. In addition to being an excellent fire source with four different fan settings, the CampStove 2 converts some of the heat from the fire into usable electricity, allowing you to charge devices on the go. An onboard battery stores electricity long after the last ember has burned, so you can save the electric power for when you need it. In addition to the CampStove 2, BioLite sells a number of compatible accessories including cooking supplies and a coffee maker. At just over 2 pounds, the CampStove 2 is a light, portable fuel source that will warm your bones and revive your phones.
Certain highly desired consumer products — antique furniture, rare wine, and fine art, to name a few — are traded like stocks. In recent years, hard-to-get sneakers have attained such a status, often selling for many times more than their retail value on the secondary market. While resellers allow consumers to purchase the freshest kicks without having to hunt them down for themselves, it’s hard to know if they’re selling the real thing at a fair price. StockX solved this problem by creating an online marketplace that functions more like Wall Street than Foot Locker or eBay. What sets this particular marketplace apart is the way it operates. For one, when a transaction happens, the seller doesn’t ship the product directly to the consumer. It first has to go to StockX for authentication. The company then ships the sneakers to the consumer only if they’re the genuine article. Even more innovative is the way StockX facilitates transactions. It uses a bid/ask system borrowed from the trading floor. Interested buyers place bids based on what they are willing to pay. Prospective sellers ask for a price for a specific item. When the two meet, a sale happens. The site also provides data on each product, including the average sale price and average premium over the original retail price, another clever crib from the stock world. Earlier this year, StockX went a step further. The company launched its first ever “IPO” for a product: a sandal sporting the A$AP Ferg lyric, “Ben Baller did the chain.” The approach is an attempt to displace the traditional distribution method of limited goods. “It’s comical that you rely on having people line up at a sneaker store for three days to get a pair,” says StockX CEO and co-founder Josh Luber. “It’s an antiquated system.” StockX, which bills itself as “the stock market of things,” is still largely a platform for sneakers and streetwear, but the company plans to diversify into other categories. Given the marketplace’s $1 billion worth, investors are optimistic about its chances. A Sneaker Marketplace Worth Over $1 Billion HOW STOCKX IS CHANGING E-COMMERCE
‘TRILLION DOLLAR COACH’ Lessons From One of Silicon Valley’s Greatest Mentors
Over the course of his illustrious career, Bill Campbell was the CEO and chairman of the board for Intuit, among many other important roles at numerous big-name companies. However, the role he’s most remembered for is being the trusted advisor and mentor to the likes of Steve Jobs and the founders of Google. A new book, “Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell,” is both a fitting tribute to Campbell and a compendium of his wisdom. The book’s authors — Google alumni Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg,
and Alan Eagle — sat down with dozens of people who recall fond memories of Campbell and the nuggets of advice he shared. “Bill was ahead of his time,” Adam Grant writes in his foreword. “The lessons of his experience are timely in a collaborative world, where the fates of our careers and our companies hinge on the quality of our relationships.” “Trillion Dollar Coach” contains invaluable insight about Campbell the business coach and charming anecdotes about Campbell the man. They add up to create a portrait of someone who lived as he worked, with compassion, grace, and a willingness to boost up others. The book is a must read for anyone in leadership and for those who aspire to be in the future.
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