4 ms·

Great list. I've seen lots of these ideas float around certain circles. As an example of the kind of person who spreads such ideas: a few years ago I knew a re

by IsaacL 9y ago

Great list. I've seen lots of these ideas float around certain circles. As an example of the kind of person who spreads such ideas: a few years ago I knew a recent university graduate who was very friendly, enthusiastic and reasonably intelligent. He was interested in entrepreneurship, but non-technical, and focused mainly on networking and building connections. One conversation I had with him concerned online advertising. He was convinved Facebook would never make money and that no-one clicked on ads online. I know a lot of people believe this, but I pointed out Google makes $20 billion revenue/year or whatever, and there's whole industries devoted to optimising PPC ads. "Nah that is just people who click by accident. Believe me it's completely nonsensical." Thinking him to be an non-serious person I didn't stay in touch but kept him on Facebook. Next I see he's doing a masters degree in internet innovation in Oxford. Then he's at Harvard for a while. Now I see he's back in Oxford starting an academic career. A while ago I saw him post an article on the awesome power of "nudges" to his FB feed. I know not everyone in academia is like this, but academia doesn't awe me any more now that I know the bar is not that high.

opportune 9y ago
This sounds exactly like every person I've ever met who is in to "business". They don't specialize in any particular industry, and aren't actually doing business related things, but participate in some farcical, nebulous buzzword-centric concept of it. I would liken it to business-theater. There's a reason people like this stay in academia.
- NeutronBoy 9y ago
  To be fair, that's my impression of a number of people who introduce themselves as 'entrepreneurs'. The people who run a business, or are building something or are otherwise working, will say that. People who say they're in 'business' or are an 'entrepreneur' are the ones who haven't figured out exactly what they're up to.

by IsaacL 9y ago

opportune 9y ago

This sounds exactly like every person I've ever met who is in to "business". They don't specialize in any particular industry, and aren't actually doing business related things, but participate in some farcical, nebulous buzzword-centric concept of it. I would liken it to business-theater. There's a reason people like this stay in academia.

NeutronBoy 9y ago
To be fair, that's my impression of a number of people who introduce themselves as 'entrepreneurs'. The people who run a business, or are building something or are otherwise working, will say that. People who say they're in 'business' or are an 'entrepreneur' are the ones who haven't figured out exactly what they're up to.