I'm Joining Substack
I'm Joining Substack
Even though I'm 0-1 in political campaigns, I've still got some shit to say.
Hello Readers!
My name is Steve Botsford, and over the last year, my primary focus has been running (unsuccessfully) for Chicago City Council. I've been interested in public policy and politics since 2013 when I serendipitously landed a job working on Capitol Hill in Washington DC.
Since leaving "The Hill", I've advised a biotech startup, earned two master's degrees (in Applied Economics & Business Finance), worked on a Statewide Attorney General race, wholesaled derivative financial products for an investment management firm, managed the acquisition of a 40-acre industrial outdoor storage facility (and the sale of another), and recently ran my own campaign (finishing second to last) to be the Alderman of Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood (43rd Ward).
My mother (Kathy) has long pressed me to start a YouTube channel to simply explain complex economic concepts or provide insight into what's really happening in Washington for those who don't want to watch cable news. I never started that YouTube channel – much to my chagrin when I discovered Ryan Kaji made $29.5 million in 2020 for opening Disney toys (you know that phrase, "Mom's always right"). Instead of YouTube, I've decided to join Substack.
I'm a big fan of both Tyler Cowen and David Perell, who often say something along the lines of, 'If you want to improve your thinking or know exactly what you think, your best path forward is to write'.
So, I'm embarking on this Substack journey to share my thoughts on economics, public policy, innovation, sports (mainly football), and any other ideas that may come to mind.
For example, I think Chipotle should host an amateur-only burrito-eating contest every year as a promotional idea. Each store could hold its event, followed by sectional and regional championships until we crown our yearly Chipotle eating national champion. I'd also suggest assigning point values (by weight) to each ingredient since eating guacamole is more filling than corn. This way, everyone in the competition can eat their preferred burrito, and the champion isn't stuck eating a basic steak, beans, and rice burrito.
But I digress.
My hope with this blog is to refine my thinking on an array of topics, introduce some of my ideas to a broader audience, and hopefully engage in fun and insightful conversations with any bored soul who decides to read my musings.
I plan on publishing one blog a week, I am a bit concerned about whether I can generate that much content, but I believe in aiming high. So far, I’ve got fifteen planned (but not yet written) blogs, from “What I learned running for Office”, to “The Structure of the next generation University Elon Musk should start”.
It is definitely going to be all over the place and I aim to be dissimilar from any other Substacks you already subscribe to.
Thank you for joining me on this journey!