A classic first-post title, with a (small) addition.

While this isn't technically the first post on the ecomloop blog, this is the fist post on this iteration of the site, one that's been in the works for months. Pushed to the side and postponed until "tomorrow" in lieu of client work, it never seemed worth the effort. The problem was approaching this with the wrong purpose.

The world has changed drastically over the past few weeks in response to the covid-19 pandemic. Many physical location businesses are shut down in many places, record numbers of people are out of work, healthcare systems are inundated, and the economic outlook is grim.

It's not all bad news. The digital economy has continued to operate - and even proliferate. Big retailers likes Amazon, Walmart & Target have seen huge surges and are hiring to meet demand. Local businesses that have stayed open are heavily relying on digital transactions via food & grocery delivery apps like GrubHub, UberEats, DoorDash, Instacart, etc. The demand for grocery delivery is in such high demand that it's become difficult to secure delivery times. Platforms like Shopify are seeing boosts as more businesses look to serve customers online.

The coronavirus pandemic will server as the single biggest catalyst in the transition to a digital economy. ****

All of the elements are in place. The infrastructure already exists and is generally salable to serve a much larger audience. With few options of where to shop, even the tech-averse and pro-local-business crowds will move shopping online - and be unlikely to move back once getting accustomed to the convenience. Likewise, more businesses will move transactions online and see little reason to operate high-overhead physical locations.

Some of the changes in the world are temporary - and most will have lasting repercussions. The world will not go back to the way it was.

The purpose of this blog is to explore ideas, projects, and ideas in the digital economy. There are plenty of challenges ahead - and immense opportunity.