In the past, our jobs will be obsolete

Sorry, BNPL, platform is everything, grocery delivery goes mainstream, more trade downs and discount shopping, AI and the secrets of the Middle Ages, plus good things to read

Some thinks:

• Apple proves once again that distribution is everything, and that’s bad for BNPL

• Everyone’s doing grocery delivery now, and Instacart is before the horse

• Medieval vocational school offers insights into AI disruption

Some reads:

• People make babies when other people make babies, a.k.a. “peer effects”

• China emerges from the pandemic with a surprise to western EV makers

• SignalFire dishes on the venture opportunities in AI

• How Australia’s crown jewel of solar ventures crashed and burned

• RXR’s Scott Rechler dishes on the coming apocalypse for real estate and what he’s doing about it

Have a nice weekend, everyone.

Things we think

Platform is everything

As Apple rolls out its deposit account to smashing success—$1B in deposits in four days—Random Walk is once again reminded that distribution is everything, even more so than product.

• Goldman’s Marcus couldn’t find an audience with consumers, but it pushed consumer fintech through an iphone and now it’s cooking with gas.

• Likewise, Zelle may no…