[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"nav-categories":3,"article-how-to-spot-a-monopoly-beyond-the-obvious-metrics":70},{"data":4},[5,37,57,64],{"name":6,"slug":7,"categories":8},"Productivity","productivity",[9,13,17,21,25,29,33],{"id":10,"title":11,"slug":12},17,"Branding","branding",{"id":14,"title":15,"slug":16},19,"Marketing","marketing",{"id":18,"title":19,"slug":20},20,"Work","work",{"id":22,"title":23,"slug":24},34,"Community","community",{"id":26,"title":27,"slug":28},21,"For newbies","for-newbies",{"id":30,"title":31,"slug":32},24,"Investment","investment",{"id":34,"title":35,"slug":36},22,"Finance","finance",{"name":38,"slug":39,"categories":40},"Tech","tech",[41,45,49,53],{"id":42,"title":43,"slug":44},28,"Technology","technology",{"id":46,"title":47,"slug":48},32,"Artificial Intelligence","artificial-intelligence",{"id":50,"title":51,"slug":52},26,"Security and protection","security-and-protection",{"id":54,"title":55,"slug":56},31,"YouTube Blog","youtube-blog",{"name":58,"slug":59,"categories":60},"News","news",[61],{"id":62,"title":58,"slug":63},18,"quasanews",{"name":65,"slug":66,"categories":67},"Business","business",[68],{"id":69,"title":65,"slug":66},16,{"post":71,"published_news":95,"popular_news":154,"categories":219},{"title":72,"description":73,"meta_title":72,"meta_description":74,"meta_keywords":75,"text":76,"slug":77,"created_at":78,"publish_at":79,"formatted_created_at":80,"category_id":69,"links":81,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":86,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"category":89},"How to Spot a Monopoly: Beyond the Obvious Metrics","Competition between companies is a cornerstone of economic growth. It drives down prices, enhances product quality, and spurs innovation. Nearly everyone acknowledges its benefits, which is why governments safeguard it through laws and regulatory bodies.","Competition between companies is a cornerstone of economic growth. It drives down prices, enhances product quality, and spurs innovation.","Nearly everyone acknowledges its benefits, which is why governments safeguard it through laws and regulatory bodies.","\u003Cp>Competition between companies is a cornerstone of economic growth. It drives down prices, enhances product quality, and spurs innovation. Nearly everyone acknowledges its benefits, which is why governments safeguard it through laws and regulatory bodies. However, the toughest challenge is determining whether true competition exists. Authorities often rely on simplistic yet flawed indicators, ultimately hindering progress by blocking mergers and reforms that could yield significant advantages.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" class=\"image-align-left\" height=\"447\" src=\"https://quasa.io/storage/photos/00/image - 2026-02-08T183723.687.jpg\" width=\"300\" />A common misconception is that markets dominated by a few large firms are inherently bad, while those with numerous small players are good. Yet data tells a different story. In the U.S., \u003Ca href=\"https://www.census.gov/data/academy/webinars/2021/evolution-of-retail-concentration.html\">from 1992 to 2012\u003C/a>, the national market share of large retail chains tripled.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>This might suggest diminishing competition. But at the local level — in cities and neighborhoods — the number of competing stores rose by about a third. The reason? Chains like Walmart expanded into areas previously served by just a handful of local shops. \u003Ca href=\"https://www.promarket.org/2025/09/04/how-has-industry-consolidation-changed-the-way-americans-shop\">As a result, consumers gained broader choices and lower prices, thanks to economies of scale in purchasing and technological investments\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Another misguided benchmark is high profits or markups. If a company sells products far above cost, it's easy to label it abusive. But elevated profits often reward risk-taking and years of development.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Take Novo Nordisk, the maker of popular weight-loss drugs:\u003C/strong> \u003Ca href=\"https://annualreport.novonordisk.com/2024/introducing-novo-nordisk/key-figures.html\">its operating profits grew by 27.6% in 2022, 37.1% in 2023, and 25.1% in 2024.\u003C/a> Capping such earnings would erode incentives for innovation.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.nber.org/papers/w18182\">A more reliable gauge of competition is how customers and revenue flow.\u003C/a> In economics, this is captured by the Olley-Pakes decomposition. The idea is straightforward: In a healthy market, efficient firms expand and capture larger shares, while inefficient ones contract or exit. Overall productivity growth then stems not just from internal improvements but from resources reallocating toward top performers.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" class=\"image-align-right\" height=\"447\" src=\"https://quasa.io/storage/photos/00/image - 2026-02-08T183724.783.jpg\" width=\"300\" />This dynamic played out in Japan's auto industry. In 1950, the entire sector produced about \u003Ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3678835\">31,000\u003C/a> vehicles annually — equivalent to one day of U.S. output. Japanese firms were resource-strapped but rapidly boosted efficiency. \u003Ca href=\"https://global.toyota/en/company/vision-and-philosophy/production-system\">At Toyota, a worker handled one machine in 1946, three by 1949, and five by 1963\u003C/a>. Over time, buyers recognized the superior reliability and affordability of Japanese cars, shifting demand to these efficient producers.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>A similar shift occurred in the U.S. after dismantling AT&T's monopoly. Before reforms, the company controlled about \u003Ca href=\"https://historyofcomputercommunications.info/section/1.5/Institutional-Change-in-Communications-Deregulation-and-Break-up-of-AT&T\">75%\u003C/a> of local networks and nearly all equipment. \u003Ca href=\"https://business.columbia.edu/sites/default/files-efs/imce-uploads/CITI/Articles/Assessing%20the%20Impacts%20of%20Divestiture%20and%20Deregulation.pdf\">Post-1968, the number of manufacturers surged from 164 to 584 by 1987\u003C/a>. Competition intensified: 60% of firms operating in 1972 vanished within 15 years. The correlation between efficiency and market share climbed \u003Ca href=\"https://www.promarket.org/2023/02/20/when-considering-breaking-up-big-tech-we-should-look-back-to-att\">from 0.01 to 0.35\u003C/a> by 1981 — superior players began dominating.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>In Colombia during the early 1990s, slashing trade barriers transformed the landscape. Pre-reform, average tariffs stood at 62%, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0305750X11002439\">soaring to 200% on imported cars\u003C/a>, inflating prices two to three times above global levels. After dropping to 15%, available models jumped from 26 in 1991 to 71 in 1992. Car prices fell from $25,000 in 1987 to $15,000 in 1997, sales doubled, and overall productivity rose 8% through reallocation to superior factories.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Contrast this with Britain post-2008 crisis, where the system faltered. Inefficient "\u003Ca href=\"https://www.euronews.com/business/2026/01/06/uk-productivity-puzzle-zombie-firms-fail-but-jobs-remain-scarce\">zombie\u003C/a>" firms lingered: company mortality was half the expected rate. Consequently, from 2010 to 2019, productivity grew just 5.8%, versus 8% in the U.S. and 9.6% in France. The market failed to reward excellence.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>The lesson is clear: Don't gauge competition solely by firm count or profit levels. Focus on whether resources migrate to the most effective operators. That's the true litmus test for a vibrant economy.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" class=\"image-align-left\" height=\"197\" src=\"https://quasa.io/storage/photos/00/image - 2026-02-08T183814.747.jpg\" width=\"350\" />Also read:\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cul>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/instagram-s-wake-up-call-adam-mosseri-on-navigating-the-ai-flood-in-2026\">Instagram's Wake-Up Call: Adam Mosseri on Navigating the AI Flood in 2026\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/the-ai-hallucination-epidemic-how-fabricated-facts-are-overburdening-libraries-and-eroding-trust-in-knowledge\">The AI Hallucination Epidemic: How Fabricated Facts Are Overburdening Libraries and Eroding Trust in Knowledge\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/france-enters-era-of-natural-population-decline-a-historic-shift\">France Enters Era of Natural Population Decline: A Historic Shift\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/reflecting-on-robert-solow-s-profound-insights-a-98-year-old-nobel-laureate-s-final-interview\">Reflecting on Robert Solow's Profound Insights: A 98-Year-Old Nobel Laureate's Final Interview\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\u003Cp>Thank you!\u003C/p>","how-to-spot-a-monopoly-beyond-the-obvious-metrics","2026-02-08T17:43:16.000000Z","2026-02-22T03:34:00.000000Z","22.02.2026",{"image":82,"thumb":83},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/Fld8BwNk9Gb42h11hbfXm7z5FhCXxh1EdfhvOmQt.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/Fld8BwNk9Gb42h11hbfXm7z5FhCXxh1EdfhvOmQt.jpg","small",null,393,0,"en",{"id":69,"title":65,"slug":66,"meta_title":90,"meta_description":91,"meta_keywords":92,"deleted_at":85,"created_at":93,"updated_at":94,"lang":88},"Quasa Media - Growth Hacking in Business","Business is a battlefield. In QUASA MEDIA you will find all the most useful articles on how to do business and not screw up.","Business, earn money, business strategy, business process","2021-08-03T10:59:17.000000Z","2024-08-25T15:45:11.000000Z",[96,109,120,131,143],{"title":97,"description":98,"slug":99,"created_at":100,"publish_at":101,"formatted_created_at":102,"category":103,"links":104,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":107,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"The AI Scientist Hits Nature: Scaling Scientific Discovery Like Code","The dream of a fully autonomous laboratory has moved from the realm of \"experimental demo\" to a validated scientific reality. The AI Scientist, a pioneering system designed to automate the entire lifecycle of research, has officially been published in Nature.","the-ai-scientist-hits-nature-scaling-scientific-discovery-like-code","2026-03-25T19:23:02.000000Z","2026-04-08T09:15:00.000000Z","08.04.2026",{"title":47,"slug":48},{"image":105,"thumb":106},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/QZJ74ZuxTmCA52qWq4HZkP2WikrOYpg6WBusDdyn.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/QZJ74ZuxTmCA52qWq4HZkP2WikrOYpg6WBusDdyn.jpg",79,false,{"title":110,"description":111,"slug":112,"created_at":113,"publish_at":114,"formatted_created_at":102,"category":115,"links":116,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":119,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"Nostalgia Is Still King: Retro Video Rental Store Simulator Is a Massive Hit on Steam","In the age of instant streaming, it turns out a surprising number of people — including many who were born after Blockbuster went bankrupt — are craving the simple joy of renting physical movies.","nostalgia-is-still-king-retro-video-rental-store-simulator-is-a-massive-hit-on-steam","2026-03-25T18:41:36.000000Z","2026-04-08T06:35:00.000000Z",{"title":43,"slug":44},{"image":117,"thumb":118},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/VvOooYMc2244q5hTV6Or5OMgr8schTPlzU8b4HXY.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/VvOooYMc2244q5hTV6Or5OMgr8schTPlzU8b4HXY.jpg",179,{"title":121,"description":122,"slug":123,"created_at":124,"publish_at":125,"formatted_created_at":102,"category":126,"links":127,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":130,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"Hollywood Is Shrinking — And the Real Villain Isn’t Strikes or Wildfires, It’s the Government","American film and television production is in serious decline, and last week a surprisingly candid hearing in Burbank made one thing crystal clear: the biggest problem isn’t greedy studios, lazy writers, or California wildfires.","hollywood-is-shrinking-and-the-real-villain-isn-t-strikes-or-wildfires-it-s-the-government","2026-03-25T18:29:29.000000Z","2026-04-08T03:21:00.000000Z",{"title":65,"slug":66},{"image":128,"thumb":129},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/RZriu0EWvrhbleBD7g7RJnhk1QyPm4DDZeesC0bC.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/RZriu0EWvrhbleBD7g7RJnhk1QyPm4DDZeesC0bC.jpg",299,{"title":132,"description":133,"slug":134,"created_at":135,"publish_at":136,"formatted_created_at":137,"category":138,"links":139,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":142,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"YouTube Is Tightening the Screws: Unskippable Long Ads Are Coming — Even If You Don’t Like It","YouTube has officially decided to stop pretending.In a move that many saw coming but hoped would never actually happen, the platform is rolling out longer, unskippable ads — and they’re starting with the TV app.","youtube-is-tightening-the-screws-unskippable-long-ads-are-coming-even-if-you-don-t-like-it","2026-03-25T18:13:01.000000Z","2026-04-07T11:07:00.000000Z","07.04.2026",{"title":55,"slug":56},{"image":140,"thumb":141},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/jDkf2DFZ7806GqMWYw0QxMTPHUHpgImLFgi4BTPE.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/jDkf2DFZ7806GqMWYw0QxMTPHUHpgImLFgi4BTPE.jpg",966,{"title":144,"description":145,"slug":146,"created_at":147,"publish_at":148,"formatted_created_at":137,"category":149,"links":150,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":153,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"Stranger Things Is Heading to the Kitchen: Netflix Turns Overcooked into Its Next Big Franchise Play","Netflix is once again proving it will try literally anything to get you to open the Games tab.","stranger-things-is-heading-to-the-kitchen-netflix-turns-overcooked-into-its-next-big-franchise-play","2026-03-25T18:04:36.000000Z","2026-04-07T09:53:00.000000Z",{"title":58,"slug":63},{"image":151,"thumb":152},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/rOBSyjv4EZhVjNfbcHhgjnJKaY05XHB0FcOVRnXU.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/rOBSyjv4EZhVjNfbcHhgjnJKaY05XHB0FcOVRnXU.jpg",969,[155,168,182,194,207],{"title":156,"description":157,"slug":158,"created_at":159,"publish_at":160,"formatted_created_at":161,"category":162,"links":163,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":166,"likes":167,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"The Anatomy of an Entrepreneur","Entrepreneur is a French word that means an enterpriser. Enterprisers are people who undertake a business or enterprise with the chance of earning profits or suffering from loss.","the-anatomy-of-an-entrepreneur","2021-08-04T15:18:21.000000Z","2025-12-14T06:09:00.000000Z","14.12.2025",{"title":65,"slug":66},{"image":164,"thumb":165},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/mVsXPTMuHZuI7UXCsENgL1Qwp1uSOf7Rz3uVPMfm.webp","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/mVsXPTMuHZuI7UXCsENgL1Qwp1uSOf7Rz3uVPMfm.webp",67086,2,{"title":169,"description":170,"slug":171,"created_at":172,"publish_at":173,"formatted_created_at":174,"category":175,"links":176,"view_type":179,"video_url":85,"views":180,"likes":181,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"Advertising on QUASA","QUASA MEDIA is read by more than 400 thousand people a month. We offer to place your article, add a link or order the writing of an article for publication.","advertising-on-quasa","2022-07-06T07:33:02.000000Z","2025-12-15T17:33:02.000000Z","15.12.2025",{"title":58,"slug":63},{"image":177,"thumb":178},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/45SvmdsTQbiyc3nxgbyHY1mpVbisYyub2BCHjqBL.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/45SvmdsTQbiyc3nxgbyHY1mpVbisYyub2BCHjqBL.jpg","large",66328,4,{"title":183,"description":184,"slug":185,"created_at":186,"publish_at":187,"formatted_created_at":188,"category":189,"links":190,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":193,"likes":181,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"What is a Startup?","A startup is not a new company, not a tech company, nor a new tech company. You can be a new tech company, if your goal is not to grow high and fast; then, you are not a startup. ","what-is-a-startup","2021-08-04T12:05:17.000000Z","2025-12-17T13:02:00.000000Z","17.12.2025",{"title":65,"slug":66},{"image":191,"thumb":192},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/EOsQhSW3VXyG7a6NPdE1oZd00xfJXe3bjY5aJGb7.webp","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/EOsQhSW3VXyG7a6NPdE1oZd00xfJXe3bjY5aJGb7.webp",64891,{"title":195,"description":196,"slug":197,"created_at":198,"publish_at":199,"formatted_created_at":200,"category":201,"links":202,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":205,"likes":167,"lang":88,"comments_count":206,"is_pinned":108},"Top 5 Tips to Make More Money as a Content Creator","Content creators are one of the most desired job titles right now. Who wouldn’t want to earn a living online?","top-5-tips-to-make-more-money-as-a-content-creator","2022-01-17T17:31:51.000000Z","2026-01-17T11:30:00.000000Z","17.01.2026",{"title":19,"slug":20},{"image":203,"thumb":204},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/gP8kiumBPpJmQv6SMieXiX1tDetx43VwFfO1P4Ca.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/gP8kiumBPpJmQv6SMieXiX1tDetx43VwFfO1P4Ca.jpg",39477,1,{"title":208,"description":209,"slug":210,"created_at":211,"publish_at":212,"formatted_created_at":213,"category":214,"links":215,"view_type":179,"video_url":85,"views":218,"likes":167,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"8 Logo Design Tips for Small Businesses","Your logo tells the story of your business and the values you stand for.","8-logo-design-tips-for-small-businesses","2021-12-04T21:59:52.000000Z","2025-05-05T03:30:00.000000Z","05.05.2025",{"title":15,"slug":16},{"image":216,"thumb":217},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/Wbx2NtS1CnTupgoQbpFMGspJ5jm4uob2hDOq33r0.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/Wbx2NtS1CnTupgoQbpFMGspJ5jm4uob2hDOq33r0.jpg",38978,[220,221,222,223,224,225,226,227,228,229,230,231,232],{"title":23,"slug":24},{"title":47,"slug":48},{"title":55,"slug":56},{"title":43,"slug":44},{"title":51,"slug":52},{"title":31,"slug":32},{"title":35,"slug":36},{"title":27,"slug":28},{"title":19,"slug":20},{"title":15,"slug":16},{"title":58,"slug":63},{"title":11,"slug":12},{"title":65,"slug":66}]