Delivery Bugs Revealed Zipline’s True Product‑market Fit
Keller Rinaudo Cliffton from Zipline thought making the drones would be the hardest part. It was only 15% of the problem. The company spent 9 months figuring out delivery for one hospital. Weeks of all-nighters. Building inventory software in a Rwanda shipping container. Then the 2 AM call came: "We delivered the blood to the roof.” It was 100 feet off due to a bug in the code, and a nurse had to climb up on to a roof to get it, but the patient’s life was saved. Keller: "We got a 3-star Yelp review. They risked their lives for our mistake. That's when we knew we had product-market fit.” Hear the whole story in this TWiST exclusive, recorded live at LaunchFest in SF.
Urea Shortage Threatens 87% of U.S. Corn Output
To give a scale of the sense of fertilizer disruption: The 13.5 Million tons of Urea behind Strait of Hormuz is 1/4th of global exports. This is the equivalent of 87% of U.S. corn production. Apple 🔊https://t.co/cMO23J6a4g Spotify📽️ https://t.co/CX48AK9HEc https://t.co/a0azQFg63V
Poll: Predicting TradePolicy3.0's Future at WTO MC14
#tradeXpresso: with the WTO #MC14 around the corner, let’s have a poll about the future of multilateralism in Tomorrowland. What do you see as the most likely scenario for #TradePolicy3.0? Not really sure what I mean? Click here first: https://t.co/lGxTVEATfb
Advocating Indian Goods Over Chinese in U.S. Market
I fully support "Made in India" replacing all "Made in China" products in the U.S.
Jet Fuel Costs Double, Sparking Airline Crisis
Jet fuel prices have DOUBLED to over $200/barrel since the Iran war. Asian airlines and energy suppliers face MAJOR SHORTAGES. SIGNS OF A MAJOR CRISIS ARE APPEARING: Thousands of flights have already been canceled AIRLINES SHOULD SEND A BILL FOR DAMAGES TO...
Trump Retreats From Iran Deadline, Averting Disaster
president trump has backed away from his self-imposed 48 hour deadline on iran. this is to be welcomed. if trump had followed through it would have been a disaster for all sides. as of now, nothing else has changed.
Iran's Control of Hormuz Threatens Global Trade
The Straits of Hormuz and maritime generally is THE story of the war with Iran. Iran cannot be left in charge of the Straits and choke the world. I recorded a special episode of Invested with @AmiDaniel1, founder & CEO...
Helium Shortage From Iran War Won’t Halt AI Chips
Helium supply shortages due to the Iran war don't seem to be a threat to AI chip production right now. https://t.co/x0EWX4XCg7
Iran Discovers Strait of Hormuz Leverage Is Unreliable
As with its nuclear program, Iran can not unlearnt new knowledge. And Tehran has learnt lots in the last 4 weeks. Iran assumed the Strait of Hormuz gave it a lever. But its effectiveness was unproven, and it didn’t know...
Ship Traffic Pivots From Suez, Hormuz to Cape
This has to be my favorite chart from the Week 12 JMIC Dashboard report on weekly ship transits. Suez down from 497 in 2023 to 248⬇️ Cape of Good Hope up from 348 to 710 ⬆️ Bab el-Mandeb 🍻 down from...
Markets Accept Persistent Middle East Conflict If Hormuz Flows
A new geopolitical equilibrium could emerge in the Middle East that includes almost constant kinetic action and YET markets could be OK with that. The 1980 Iran-Iraq war is a good example of that. All that matters is whether ships...
Smart Redesigns Need Regional Chains and Automation
Lisa Anderson & Eric P. Rose discuss smart product redesign, regional supply chains, automation & the realities of bringing new products to market. 🎥 Watch Smart Product Redesign https://t.co/u4EuOwcFKd #SupplyChain #ProductInnovation #Manufacturing https://t.co/UGMQtlxsw1
US‑China Trade War Threatens 2025 Economy; Cooperation Needed
NEW: The US and China put parts of the global economy at risk in 2025 through their trade war over critical minerals & technology. Here I explore a novel path for Washington and Beijing to 'cooperate' over *HOW* they reduce their...
Carrier's Market Persists: Shippers Who Refuse Concessions Lose Trucks
This is a carrier's market. There are zero signs that things are cooling, in fact, in recent days the market has firmed significantly. Many traffic managers at shippers have not seen a carrier's market and are unprepared. If they have...
Acid Prices Surge as Hormuz Sulfur Supply Tightens
Kamoa-Kakula's #copper smelter is currently producing 1,600 tonnes of high-strength sulphuric acid per day. We are currently selling this acid for between $470/t and $500/t to local mining operations in the DRC Copperbelt that critically need the acid to leach...
Trump’s Wavering Stance Shapes Iran Conflict’s Future
As Trump flip flops on his latest ultimatum, now is a good time to look at how the remainder of this conflict may play out and how domestic politics might influence the outcome... Geopolitical Guy | Substack https://bit.ly/3NkAKGD #Iran #OperationEpicFury #StraitOfHormuz #Trump...
First Low‑Carbon Copper Anodes Shipped via Lobito Railway
The first batch of 99.7%-pure copper anodes produced by our new smelter at Kamoa-Kakula was recently delivered to the Atlantic port of Lobito in Angola. This shipment of anodes was the first to be transported along the Lobito Railway Corridor....
Real‑time ERP Visibility Fuels Growth, Not Guesswork
Still digging through spreadsheets? SAP Business One gives you real-time visibility so you can stop guessing and start growing. Simple as that. 🚀 $SAP #SAPBusinessOne #ERP #BusinessGrowth #WholesaleDistribution #SupplyChain #Visibility https://t.co/2DpujWqTEo
Gulf Shut‑ins Could Cut 200 M Barrels in First Month
Current Gulf production shut ins alone, if held at current levels through end-March, will result in roughly 200 million barrels of crude *not being produced* over the first ~30 days of the Iran War Not simply displaced supply, but barrels that...
Trump’s Self‑negotiation Lost; China Won 2025 Standoff
At the height of the tariff stand-off with China in April 2025, Trump was essentially negotiating with himself - threatening escalation and then pulling back - while China stayed silent. We're at that stage now on Iran. China won the...
US‑Israeli Strike Closes Hormuz, Triggers Global Gas Crisis
Thanks to the US-Israeli attack on Iran, the Strait of Hormuz is ‘closed’. As a result, countries worldwide are facing a gas supply CLIFF-EDGE. LNG from Qatar is NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. US-ISRAELI WAR ON IRAN = MASSIVE COLLATERAL DAMAGE. https://t.co/qE8zgTwxgC
Strait Closure Triggers Universal Refined‑petroleum Supply Shock
I spoke with @GaryBohm5 'Metals and Miners' about the closure of the Strait: "It will affect everything that's produced by refined petroleum: the chemical and plastics industry, fertilizer. This supply shock will ripple through everything. There's nothing that isn't touched." https://t.co/SPZ9A1UMhy
AI Blurs VC and PE Lines in Construction Deals
AI: Where VC converges with PE! Historically, outstanding venture capitalists invested in high-growth software. Top-quality private equity firms acquired companies. And the two strategies were distinct. Those two paths may be converging. @generalcatalyst just invested $13.8M to back KP Reddy to launch @ZeroRFI_...
Real‑time SAP Business One Eliminates Xero/Zoho Delays
Stop the Xero/Zoho trap. Minutes matter in distribution. 🕒 SAP Business One gives real-time shop floor to back-office visibility. ⚡ Interested? Let's chat. Connect and let's talk how I can help you solve your problems. #Xero #Zoho #SAPBusinessOne $SAP #SupplyChain https://t.co/AbeWViEFr2
Leadership Lessons at Sea: A Refreshing Ship Captain’s Tale
Everyone’s talking about shipping but most of the books about commercial ships are dry as dust. Once upon a time I read one that wasn’t. No acronyms. No jargon. Just stories about leadership moments at sea by @GoldenStripesLS, a ship captain...
SONAR's Real‑transaction Data Beats Ghost‑load DAT Signals
Ken Idunno Adamo was the cheerleader of team weather in February. He couldn't see that the freight market was cooking because of the sub-prime nature of DAT's data. I don't blame Ken for not taking the $5k bet, knowing that...
Unblocking Hormuz Strait May Avert Global Depression
🤙🏻 Call me, beep me, if you want to unblock the Strait of Hormuz and unwind the largest energy supply shock in history to avoid a global depression.
Averitt Reports Rising LTL Activity
Averitt, a regional LTL provider, is seeing an up-tick in LTL activity. - Transport Topics https://t.co/VUzWyUSgRw
US Oil Use Hits Record Low Amid Global Supply Shock
its the "biggest ever shock to global oil supply", as people keep pointing out, but the US economy is also less oil-intensive than it has ever been.. https://t.co/zk9SxpcEA5
Oil Prices Near Peak Due to Hormuz Risk Premium
In this podcast conversation with @paulkrugman from last week, we debate my view that oil prices are near their peak because large risk premia are priced into oil that embed substantially reduced tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Watch...
US Tariffs Waste Billions on Steel, Aluminum, Copper
A back of napkin estimate (based on DOD spending on metals and the current price differential bt US and world market prices) indicates that the federal government wastes BILLIONS each year due to US steel, aluminum, & copper tariffs alone:...
Ontario, CA Hits Extreme Tightening as Freight Booms
Ontario, California flipped to "Extreme Tightening" for capacity over the weekend, as the freight economy starts to heat up and Spring shipping starts to cook. Ontario is heart of the Inland Empire, the ocean of warehouses and distribution centers near...
Middle East Conflict Drives Global LNG Exports to Six‑month Low
Global LNG exports drop to the lowest level in six months due to Middle East conflict ⚠️ 🚢 This basically erases supply additions from the US and elsewhere during that period The drop is primarily from Qatar — and to a...
USS John F. Kennedy Construction Drags on 17 Years
“Can take twice as long” Are you kidding me?? We have been building the aircraft carrier USS John F Kennedy for SEVENTEEN YEARS and it’s still not completed.
Qatar Outage Boosts Russia's LNG Sales to Vietnam
The outage at the world’s biggest LNG export plant in Qatar is apparently benefiting Russia 🇷🇺 ⚠️ Russia’s largest LNG producer Novatek has signed a preliminary deal to supply Vietnam, Tass reported citing CEO Mikhelson (Vietnam is struggling to buy LNG...
Spot Rates Rising, Poised to Lift Contract Rates
Trucking spot rates on the move; contract rates stable for now. Spot rates are going to pull up contract rates. https://t.co/ZwPKv4PP3D
Ever Given’s Suez Mishap Sparked a Shipping Saga
Five years ago, MV Ever Given took a right turn in the Suez and rammed Asia and hung its stern up on Africa and started my wild ride with What's Going on With Shipping. https://t.co/43E5IpnOsh
China De
there goes China +1 'de-risking' strategy. almost everyone else is dependent on imported oil to fuel manufacturing, which it turns out is another variable which can be disrupted by rage tweet
Iranian Oil Routes to China via SWIFT Workarounds
Pfft. None of the desanctioned Iranian oil is going anywhere other than China, because only China can shield their payments from SWIFT. All of these masterful gambits assume the Iranians are idiots. They’re evil. Not idiots.
AI Battle Now Hinges on Silicon, Not Models
Musk: $20B chip factory. Amazon: $50B into OpenAI + new Trainium lab. The AI race is no longer about models. It is about who controls the silicon underneath. Current fab capacity covers 2% of what is needed. Two percent. https://t.co/cl1qOf5ih0
ADNOC Cuts LNG Output as Hormuz Closure Tightens Gas Market
Adnoc is now reducing LNG production because Strait of Hormuz is shut, tightening the global gas market 🇦🇪 ⚠️ Adnoc has “made temporary operational adjustments to production of Liquefied Natural Gas” They’re working with customers to fulfill commitments “wherever possible” https://t.co/dLBNlgiLER
Fragmenting Supply Chains Threaten Defense Without China
Global supply chains are fragmenting right now. From a risk perspective this means that every major piece of defense equipment destroyed in the Gulf, may be almost irreplaceable without China’s support. How did team USA get here? Failures of risk...
Taiwan Scrambles with Chip Deals to Win Trump
Fast Chips, Big Money, 3:30 a.m. Calls: Taiwan’s Urgent Quest to Win Over Trump https://t.co/XAPflnhoCQ
Nvidia Warns U.S. Robotics Will Depend on China
Nvidia’s Huang calls China ‘formidable’ in robotics as firm bets on physical AI Huang says US robotics industry will have to rely on China’s supply chain despite US pioneering market... Yup...3D chess vice one dimensional game within Beltway.... https://t.co/rrFQq5IlpQ
Impending LNG Shock Threatens Europe and Asia for Years
The LNG shock is about to get real The last Gulf cargoes loaded before the war are now arriving After that, Europe & Asia hit the wall This is a major structural shock that may last years https://t.co/Dw60mbEoxn #LNG #Hormuz #Qatar #Pakistan #Bangladesh #Taiwan #EnergyCrisis...
U.S. LNG Gains vs Gulf Instability’s Massive Blowback
Gulf insecurity can serve U.S. LNG and geopolitical interests, writes @anasalhajji This is an alternative view that should be taken seriously My take is that it goes too far in treating strategic benefit as proof of strategic design The blowback to the...
Kharg Island Seizure Won’t Halt Iran’s Oil Exports
[MUST READ] Iran’s Kharg Island - U.S. seizure would not necessarily end exports or re-open the Strait: https://t.co/yRYH1g1UAM
U.S. Shipbuilding Needs Systemic Overhaul, Not Just Money
If you want to bring shipbuilding to the U.S. at the scale of China or South Korea or even Japan its not only going to take massive capital investment, but you also have to fundamentally change the way these businesses...
Century‑Old Jones Act Still Stifles U.S. Shipping
The best parts of this very good @60Minutes segment have gotta be when @cpgrabow tells @LesleyRStahl a few basic Jones Act absurdities, and she repeatedly gasps "NO!" in disbelief - truly shocked that a century-old US law could be...
Weekly NTI Set to Surpass $2.90 per Mile
The national truckload index, daily report, is signaling that weekly NTI is poised to break $2.90/mile tomorrow. Rates firmed sharply late last week. For those following at home or on Blue to Blue, ticker is SONAR: NTID.USA https://t.co/jxA5L55Osk
