Exodus: A Proposal for the Jews of Quebec
A proposal for what coordinated relocation could mean for Quebec’s Jewish community.
Five More Seconds
AI may help us grieve. It may also learn how to monetize our inability to let go.
Thoughts and occasional arguments
Writing from the uncomfortable middle.
Essays by Robert Stein on capital allocation, business strategy, media, finance, real assets and why smart people sometimes make very expensive mistakes.
Recent writing
Latest first.
The posts below are an earlier selection; visit Substack for the latest.
Read on Substack ↗
Read on Substack ↗
Why I Gave $50 to a Guy with a Bucket of Tar
I’ve lived in Montreal for 44 years and I don’t remember it ever being this bad.
eBay Saw the Board. It Never Moved the Pieces.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about execution.
Good Ideas Die on Hostile Soil
When I moved recently, I had one of those quiet realizations you only get when everything you own is in boxes.
The Billion-Dollar Graveyard: Why I Couldn't Unlock Hollywood's Dormant IP
The idea didn’t start in a boardroom.
Music is having another Napster moment
I’ve always been interested in the business of things.
A $600 Million Housing Fix
There is a simple way for the federal government to make housing more affordable for most first-time buyers.
Why Reddit May Be the Most Valuable Dataset in AI
I keep hearing the same claim about AI: compute is the bottleneck.
A Magic Trick: How to Turn $5 Million Into $145 Million
This is not financial advice.
Canada is not on the brink because of Venezuelan oil — and pretending otherwise is reckless
Canada’s economy is not one foreign oil decision away from collapse.
Ambiguity Is The New Antisemitism
I am Jewish.
The $100 Billion Question: Is David Ellison Buying a Business, or a Legacy?
David Ellison’s reported bid for Warner Bros.
Reorganizing Caesars: A Three-Way Split That Could Unlock Billions
For fun, I wanted to take a look at reorganizing Caesars Entertainment.
Help Wanted: Chief Executive Officer of a $7 Billion Organisation
Position: Chief Executive Officer.
Based on a true story
Based on a true story.
Coming soon
This is Robert’s Substack.