Trump and Canada, How ‘Resist and Unsubscribe’ Affects Scott’s Investments, and the Power of Focus

What It Covers

Scott Galloway examines Trump's tariff strategy targeting Canada despite mutual trade benefits, discusses his personal divestment from big tech companies like Amazon and Apple as part of his resist movement, and explains why narrow professional focus beats diversification for career advancement and wealth accumulation over time.

Key Questions Answered

• •Trade asymmetry reality: US exports to Canada (iPhones, chips, digital services) generate 40-50 point operating margins at PE ratios of 20-50x, while Canadian imports (oil, timber, cars) produce 10-20 point margins at 8-15x PE. Every dollar sold into Canada creates three to ten times more shareholder value than imports received, making tariffs economically counterproductive.
• •Big tech subscription leverage: Canceling a $20 monthly ChatGPT subscription removes $240 annually but destroys approximately $9,600 in market capitalization because OpenAI trades at 40x revenues versus Kroger at 0.3x. Five households eliminating $30,000 in grocery spending equals one person canceling ChatGPT in market impact, making tech subscriptions the most effective pressure point against corporate complicity.
• •Uber pricing inflation: Over ten years, average Uber Lux rides increased from $40-60 to $80-120, representing 7-10 percent annual price growth versus 3-3.5 percent inflation. Taking 370 rides yearly at current rates equals $35,000 annual spending, demonstrating how frictionless payment systems mask dramatic cost escalation that consumers fail to notice or challenge.
• •Career promotion mathematics: Getting promoted every three years instead of four years compounds into millions of dollars more wealth by age 50-55, representing the difference between CEO and junior VP positions. Success concentrates in the final 10 percent of effort, requiring focus on one skill to reach top 10 percent within three years and top 1 percent within ten years.
• •Focus versus diversification: Side hustles signal the need for a better main career rather than supplemental income strategy. Becoming the top expert in a narrow domain (pharmaceutical companies in Portugal, Gap one accounting, Southeast Asia trade) creates million-dollar consulting agreements, book deals, and tenure through specificity that crowds out generalists in the marketplace.