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When it comes to nation state affairs. Generally, entrepreneurs can only observe, predict, and act. In 2009, the USA economy was tanking. As a new MBA who had

When it comes to nation state affairs. Generally, entrepreneurs can only observe, predict, and act. In 2009, the USA economy was tanking. As a new MBA who had studied options and derivatives, for example, I had a job offer on Wall Street with Bear Stearns, it made me angry. When I got the chance to come to China on a management consulting project, I noticed, China was booming. It was a great time to start a company here, and that’s what I did. I don’t agree with all the social issues here in China. I also don’t agree with the USA financial system still being privatized after the greatest global robbery scheme ever invented. Every nation has their problems, buddy. At this point, as an entrepreneur, I’m just in position to think about how to make money, given the political environment. I don’t think that makes me a bad American. That’s the American way.

notacoward 8y ago
> Every nation has their problems, buddy. ... I’m just in position to think about how to make money Both sides! > That’s the American way. That's the amoral way. The sociopath way. Nothing particularly American about it.
- bobjordan 8y ago
  There is nothing sociopathic about rationally navigating the global environment. Further, placing bets with your time and money, based on your observations, is what an entrepreneur does.
  - notacoward 8y ago
    > There is nothing sociopathic about rationally navigating the global environment. There is something sociopathic about a definition of "rational" that only encompasses financial profit. Maybe you're a good person, maybe you're making products that make people's lives better, but none of that's apparent when you brush off a comment about genocide with "yeah, but there's lots of money to be made". If there's such a thing as "the American way" there's more to it than Gordon Gekko. Don't try to rationalize pure materialism as patriotism.
    - bobjordan 8y ago
      No, unfortunately, the products I’ve made have probably not made the world a much better place. For example, I made, about 1 million selfie-sticks, for the GoPro camera. Sold in Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and frys electronics. Anytime you see one of irritating sticks with a camera on it. You can think of me. Now, it would be great, if I could help stop genocide. It would be great, if I could change China. But, that’s out of my span of control. And no matter how much you preach at me, it is also, outside your own span of control.
joefranklinsrs 8y ago
"I’m just in position to think about how to make money" Son, that ain't the American way. That's just the wall street way. Which you never escaped, and was always a part of, it seems.
- bobjordan 8y ago
  It’s definitely the American way, for those of us Americans who don’t want to take a paycheck from somebody else. And that somebody else, whomever is behind paying your wages, is definitely navigating the global environment the best they can, to make money.
  - ericd 8y ago
    You can run your own business while taking into account other factors beyond what would purely be most profitable. Those aren’t at all mutually exclusive. I would actually say that one of the greatest joys of running your own company is that you’re free to try to do something good beyond making money.
    - bobjordan 8y ago
      As an entrepreneur, you are certainly free to try to do something good beyond making money. But, if you don’t make money, you won’t be free to do it very long. Sometimes, you just got to make selfie-sticks, because that’s the opportunity you’ve identified, and in China, because consumers are not going to pay a premium for that product to be made in USA.
      - ericd 8y ago
        Sure, you need to make money, but it's a false dichotomy to say you can either make money or try to do something good. No one "just has to make selfie sticks".
fleshfly 8y ago
Kudos to you. If I recall correctly, Bear Stearns at that time just agreed on a joint-venture with CITIC Securities, something that turned out to be moot due to the failure but still ahead of its time compared to other investment banks. It would seem that firm picked up on your entrepreneurial attitude.

notacoward 8y ago

> Every nation has their problems, buddy. ... I’m just in position to think about how to make money Both sides! > That’s the American way. That's the amoral way. The sociopath way. Nothing particularly American about it.

bobjordan 8y ago
There is nothing sociopathic about rationally navigating the global environment. Further, placing bets with your time and money, based on your observations, is what an entrepreneur does.
- notacoward 8y ago
  > There is nothing sociopathic about rationally navigating the global environment. There is something sociopathic about a definition of "rational" that only encompasses financial profit. Maybe you're a good person, maybe you're making products that make people's lives better, but none of that's apparent when you brush off a comment about genocide with "yeah, but there's lots of money to be made". If there's such a thing as "the American way" there's more to it than Gordon Gekko. Don't try to rationalize pure materialism as patriotism.
  - bobjordan 8y ago
    No, unfortunately, the products I’ve made have probably not made the world a much better place. For example, I made, about 1 million selfie-sticks, for the GoPro camera. Sold in Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and frys electronics. Anytime you see one of irritating sticks with a camera on it. You can think of me. Now, it would be great, if I could help stop genocide. It would be great, if I could change China. But, that’s out of my span of control. And no matter how much you preach at me, it is also, outside your own span of control.

joefranklinsrs 8y ago

"I’m just in position to think about how to make money" Son, that ain't the American way. That's just the wall street way. Which you never escaped, and was always a part of, it seems.

bobjordan 8y ago
It’s definitely the American way, for those of us Americans who don’t want to take a paycheck from somebody else. And that somebody else, whomever is behind paying your wages, is definitely navigating the global environment the best they can, to make money.
- ericd 8y ago
  You can run your own business while taking into account other factors beyond what would purely be most profitable. Those aren’t at all mutually exclusive. I would actually say that one of the greatest joys of running your own company is that you’re free to try to do something good beyond making money.
  - bobjordan 8y ago
    As an entrepreneur, you are certainly free to try to do something good beyond making money. But, if you don’t make money, you won’t be free to do it very long. Sometimes, you just got to make selfie-sticks, because that’s the opportunity you’ve identified, and in China, because consumers are not going to pay a premium for that product to be made in USA.
    - ericd 8y ago
      Sure, you need to make money, but it's a false dichotomy to say you can either make money or try to do something good. No one "just has to make selfie sticks".

fleshfly 8y ago

Kudos to you. If I recall correctly, Bear Stearns at that time just agreed on a joint-venture with CITIC Securities, something that turned out to be moot due to the failure but still ahead of its time compared to other investment banks. It would seem that firm picked up on your entrepreneurial attitude.