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More and more I agree with the sentiment of "Let's change the world" being pure BS. Why grow infinitely until you fail when you could just get really, really g

More and more I agree with the sentiment of "Let's change the world" being pure BS. Why grow infinitely until you fail when you could just get really, really good at a few things for a long time (Oh that's right. VCs and their desire for unsatiable "growth"). I'd much rather work for a company that focuses on one or two core competencies than one that tries to everything ok.

tomc1985 9y ago
It's the Shareholder Directive that you want destroyed. Executives in this country have no choice but to maximize value for shareholders. We need to destroy that rule and its surrounding culture if you want to get rid of insatiable growth
- pixie_ 9y ago
  Stopping optimization, evolution, growth? Go outside and yell out, "Hey world, I'm good! You can stop evolving now, thanks!"
  - fwdpropaganda 9y ago
    Growth for the sake of growth is how cancer kills you.
  - freshhawk 9y ago
    Evolution is a good analogy, since you are making the same mistake regarding both evolution and optimization/growth. These things don't have an inherent direction, they are aimed in a direction. The point being made here is about the direction they are being aimed, not stopping them.
  - FridgeSeal 9y ago
    I don't think anyone's advocating that, they're advocating sustainability (not static-ness(?) I'm sure there's a much better word here) over endless growth, there's a pretty distinct difference.
- JohnnyConatus 9y ago
  Look up B Corporations. There is another way. However most founders really want to be rich and few VCs will invest in this structure.
- IntronExon 9y ago
  I’m always surprised to see that myth trotted out here! https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2012/06/26/the-shareholder-value-myth/ https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2012/06/26/the-shareholder-v... https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/04/16/what-are-corporations-obligations-to-shareholders/corporations-dont-have-to-maximize-profits https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/04/16/what-are-co... https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/harold-meyerson-the-myth-of-maximizing-shareholder-value/2014/02/11/00cdfb14-9336-11e3-84e1-27626c5ef5fb_story.html?utm_term=.132ff7aee8b2 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/harold-meyerson-the-... https://www.marketplace.org/2016/06/09/economy/price-profits/shareholder-value-myth https://www.marketplace.org/2016/06/09/economy/price-profits... https://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=2311&context=facpub https://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?refe...
- rhizome 9y ago
  Maximizing shareholder value is a canard, not a law, not to mention that fiduciary duty cases against C-levels are so rare as to be irrelevant. There is a choice.
  - seanmcdirmid 9y ago
    The board can always fire the C-level, so by virtue of survivor bias alone the ones left are looking out for shareholder interests first. There is a choice: be CEO or not.
    - rhizome 9y ago
      The board can always fire the C-level Do they, though? And for this reason?
      - seanmcdirmid 9y ago
        Again, you don't ever hear about the candidates who were fired quickly (or in less prestigious positions) or never hired in the first place because...survival bias.
        rhizome 9y ago
        "Fired quickly" for violating fiduciary duty? Less-prestigious people don't have fiduciary duties to stockholders. I think you might be making a category error.
      - tomc1985 9y ago
        They can and they will. Watched it happen twice at once company; they ended up turning over nearly all senior management about a year or two behind them.
        rhizome 9y ago
        Keep in mind that a Fiduciary Duty of Care violation is a civil tort, not just a reason to fire someone. If they haven't been sued by the company, it's not what I'm talking about.
ikeyany 9y ago
Can you blame people? Who doesn't want to be the next Bill Gates or Elon Musk? The recipe is to grow exponentially and dominate the market, then to do fun world-changing ventures.
- madamelic 9y ago
  >Who doesn't want to be the next Bill Gates or Elon Musk? Microsoft made killer software and that was basically it for the first like 15 years of their company. If a company can last 15 years and be a behemoth, by all means, start venturing for new green fields... but WeWork becoming an owner of a Kindergarten... what? Elon Musk is a person, not a company. And all of his companies tie into a core vision (Advance humanity). WeWork is just starting a school because it... uh... involves a building? I can excuse WeLive because hey, that's a great idea and actually dovetails with WeWork nicely.
  - seanmcdirmid 9y ago
    I would love for a space that allowed me to work while providing daycare nearby for my kid. But I’m very niche, for sure.
- rhizome 9y ago
  Unlike Gates and Musk, WeWork is inextricably dependent on the VC industry, which provides the money that unprofitable companies pay WeWork in rent.
  - hobofan 9y ago
    That's not the picture I got from the WeWork spaces in Berlin. A significant portion of the companies there (probably enough for break-even) are profitable. Small floating offices from big tech companies, consulting firms, or startups in profitable niches.
- ambrosite 9y ago
  But not everyone is capable of being Elon Musk, or should even want to be like him, if they really understood what it takes to be him. Here is one of the most insightful posts I have ever read on the subject, coming from someone who should know -- his first wife: https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-be-as-great-as-Bill-Gates-Steve-Jobs-Elon-Musk-or-Sir-Richard-Branson/answer/Justine-Musk?share=08df440f&srid=wX1D https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-be-as-great-as-Bill-Gates-St...

tomc1985 9y ago

It's the Shareholder Directive that you want destroyed. Executives in this country have no choice but to maximize value for shareholders. We need to destroy that rule and its surrounding culture if you want to get rid of insatiable growth

pixie_ 9y ago
Stopping optimization, evolution, growth? Go outside and yell out, "Hey world, I'm good! You can stop evolving now, thanks!"
- fwdpropaganda 9y ago
  Growth for the sake of growth is how cancer kills you.
- freshhawk 9y ago
  Evolution is a good analogy, since you are making the same mistake regarding both evolution and optimization/growth. These things don't have an inherent direction, they are aimed in a direction. The point being made here is about the direction they are being aimed, not stopping them.
- FridgeSeal 9y ago
  I don't think anyone's advocating that, they're advocating sustainability (not static-ness(?) I'm sure there's a much better word here) over endless growth, there's a pretty distinct difference.
JohnnyConatus 9y ago
Look up B Corporations. There is another way. However most founders really want to be rich and few VCs will invest in this structure.
IntronExon 9y ago
I’m always surprised to see that myth trotted out here! https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2012/06/26/the-shareholder-value-myth/ https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2012/06/26/the-shareholder-v... https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/04/16/what-are-corporations-obligations-to-shareholders/corporations-dont-have-to-maximize-profits https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/04/16/what-are-co... https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/harold-meyerson-the-myth-of-maximizing-shareholder-value/2014/02/11/00cdfb14-9336-11e3-84e1-27626c5ef5fb_story.html?utm_term=.132ff7aee8b2 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/harold-meyerson-the-... https://www.marketplace.org/2016/06/09/economy/price-profits/shareholder-value-myth https://www.marketplace.org/2016/06/09/economy/price-profits... https://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=2311&context=facpub https://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?refe...
rhizome 9y ago
Maximizing shareholder value is a canard, not a law, not to mention that fiduciary duty cases against C-levels are so rare as to be irrelevant. There is a choice.
- seanmcdirmid 9y ago
  The board can always fire the C-level, so by virtue of survivor bias alone the ones left are looking out for shareholder interests first. There is a choice: be CEO or not.
  - rhizome 9y ago
    The board can always fire the C-level Do they, though? And for this reason?
    - seanmcdirmid 9y ago
      Again, you don't ever hear about the candidates who were fired quickly (or in less prestigious positions) or never hired in the first place because...survival bias.
      - rhizome 9y ago
        "Fired quickly" for violating fiduciary duty? Less-prestigious people don't have fiduciary duties to stockholders. I think you might be making a category error.
    - tomc1985 9y ago
      They can and they will. Watched it happen twice at once company; they ended up turning over nearly all senior management about a year or two behind them.
      - rhizome 9y ago
        Keep in mind that a Fiduciary Duty of Care violation is a civil tort, not just a reason to fire someone. If they haven't been sued by the company, it's not what I'm talking about.

ikeyany 9y ago

Can you blame people? Who doesn't want to be the next Bill Gates or Elon Musk? The recipe is to grow exponentially and dominate the market, then to do fun world-changing ventures.

madamelic 9y ago
>Who doesn't want to be the next Bill Gates or Elon Musk? Microsoft made killer software and that was basically it for the first like 15 years of their company. If a company can last 15 years and be a behemoth, by all means, start venturing for new green fields... but WeWork becoming an owner of a Kindergarten... what? Elon Musk is a person, not a company. And all of his companies tie into a core vision (Advance humanity). WeWork is just starting a school because it... uh... involves a building? I can excuse WeLive because hey, that's a great idea and actually dovetails with WeWork nicely.
- seanmcdirmid 9y ago
  I would love for a space that allowed me to work while providing daycare nearby for my kid. But I’m very niche, for sure.
rhizome 9y ago
Unlike Gates and Musk, WeWork is inextricably dependent on the VC industry, which provides the money that unprofitable companies pay WeWork in rent.
- hobofan 9y ago
  That's not the picture I got from the WeWork spaces in Berlin. A significant portion of the companies there (probably enough for break-even) are profitable. Small floating offices from big tech companies, consulting firms, or startups in profitable niches.
ambrosite 9y ago
But not everyone is capable of being Elon Musk, or should even want to be like him, if they really understood what it takes to be him. Here is one of the most insightful posts I have ever read on the subject, coming from someone who should know -- his first wife: https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-be-as-great-as-Bill-Gates-Steve-Jobs-Elon-Musk-or-Sir-Richard-Branson/answer/Justine-Musk?share=08df440f&srid=wX1D https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-be-as-great-as-Bill-Gates-St...