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Continue reading →: The Wisdom of the FishermanWe were taking a walk near the Pacific coastline when, crossing a bridge over an estuary, we noticed a solitary fisherman navigating his way barefooted through the rocky shore and into the ocean. All of the other fisherman were clustered together on a nearby pier; our fisherman stood apart and…
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Continue reading →: AI & the Nature of Human IntelligenceIn the past year, many of us have come to realize the profound impact that advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) may have on technology and likely on society as a whole. Yet, what might still be underappreciated is the significant influence such breakthroughs could have on our comprehension of the…
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Continue reading →: How AI “Sees” the WorldIt’s our first winter in rural Summit County, Utah. I’m certainly used to the scenes of snow after spending the last quarter of a century living in Park City. But I’m not used to the serene but rustic sights, sounds, and scents unique to the mountain-valley countrysides of Summit County.…
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Continue reading →: A Post-Centralized Media World: Citizen JournalismAs those who’ve known me for some time will understand, mass media has long troubled me. Having been raised in rather socially-minded circles, as a young student of geopolitics, I grew up appreciating how mass media was a critical and dangerous weapon capable of convincing “the masses” of just about…
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Continue reading →: Symmetry of Expectations
Today, I had a conversation with some young people (late teens/early twenties) who had incredibly strained relationships with their parents. First, it was strange to realize that I was inclined to step in and represent their parents’ absent perspective (I guess I’m officially a parent). But, second, the conversation was…
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Continue reading →: The Fallacy of the Good Times PlaybookAs I approach age 50 and recollect 30 years of post-childhood lessons learned, I recognize a pattern I’ve lived through a few times. I’ve learned that times of economic expansion have tended to teach me fallacies. It was easy to think I was a good bet-taker when every bet paid…
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Continue reading →: A Contrarian Hypothesis: Deflationary WhiplashWhile our attention, motivated by media headlines, is focused on rising inflation, I humbly believe there is an equally high risk of a deflationary shock to the economy in the coming months and quarters. I worry that it is such a shock that could trigger the next recessionary cycle. Let…
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Continue reading →: The Burden of BusinessI have paid a high price over the past six years. I used to think of myself as a sometimes flawed but generally well-intentioned person. Those who knew me well would agree that, even though I was (and still am) very ambitious, I was paradoxically not competitive at all. I…
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Understanding the Economy
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Continue reading →: Understanding the EconomyWhile I’m not an economist by training, I’ve grown fond of contemplating and simplifying complex economic concepts so as they make sense to me. As I consider how to understand the scale of our economy (or of any economy, for that matter), I’ve realized that the answer is the product…
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Continue reading →: The Most Important Question I Can AskIt had been a while since I had asked it. I was reluctant to ask it of my two sons and my wife all on the same day. But, yesterday, I gathered the courage to do so. There were opportunities for me to be with each of them individually: on…
Hello!
I’m Bassam
I was born in Egypt, lived in France & England as a child, and came to the United States as a teenager to study Computer Science and Business at the University of Utah. After decades in the tech industry, I’m focused on community, mentorship, and impact.
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Against the Herd 