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> No, they don't. Left alone, they grow until they collapse from internal bureaucracy and inefficiency. Eventually, maybe. But it usually takes far too long an

> No, they don't. Left alone, they grow until they collapse from internal bureaucracy and inefficiency. Eventually, maybe. But it usually takes far too long and if we speed up the process (and smooth out a boom/bust cycle at the same time) then that seems like a win to me. If we agree that smaller companies are more efficient then we should actively bias the economy towards them rather than allowing big companies to outcompete them purely because they have market power.

WalterBright 3y ago
Big companies are the engines that drive an economy with productivity and employment. Small companies are the future big companies. A healthy economy needs both. Trying to bias an economy towards small business means your economy will be backward and unproductive. > If we agree that smaller companies are more efficient I did not say that. Small companies become big companies by being more efficient than existing big companies. As time goes on, big companies slowly get strangled by bureaucracy and inability to adapt to changing times, and come unglued. But the economy needs their efficiency when they are young.
- metabagel 3y ago
  > Trying to bias an economy towards small business means your economy will be backward and unproductive. Nice straw man you got there! The point is to ensure a competitive marketplace where small companies can survive.
  - WalterBright 3y ago
    Small companies do well in a free market. They always have. There's no need for a bias towards them.
- CaptainZapp 3y ago
  > Big companies are the engines that drive an economy with productivity and employment The German Mittelstand[0] companies very much disagree with your assessment. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mittelstand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mittelstand
  - WalterBright 3y ago
    The Mittelstand are not small companies, they have revenues up to a billion euros.
- hnben 3y ago
  > Big companies are the engines that drive an economy with productivity and employment there are enough economies where productivity is driven by small companies. For example: about 56% of employment and 43% of revenue of germany comes from small companies. It was even higher in the past. https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Branchen-Unternehmen/Unternehmen/Kleine-Unternehmen-Mittlere-Unternehmen/_inhalt.html https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Branchen-Unternehmen/Unter...
  - WalterBright 3y ago
    That means most of the revenue is coming from the big companies.

WalterBright 3y ago

Big companies are the engines that drive an economy with productivity and employment. Small companies are the future big companies. A healthy economy needs both. Trying to bias an economy towards small business means your economy will be backward and unproductive. > If we agree that smaller companies are more efficient I did not say that. Small companies become big companies by being more efficient than existing big companies. As time goes on, big companies slowly get strangled by bureaucracy and inability to adapt to changing times, and come unglued. But the economy needs their efficiency when they are young.

metabagel 3y ago
> Trying to bias an economy towards small business means your economy will be backward and unproductive. Nice straw man you got there! The point is to ensure a competitive marketplace where small companies can survive.
- WalterBright 3y ago
  Small companies do well in a free market. They always have. There's no need for a bias towards them.
CaptainZapp 3y ago
> Big companies are the engines that drive an economy with productivity and employment The German Mittelstand[0] companies very much disagree with your assessment. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mittelstand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mittelstand
- WalterBright 3y ago
  The Mittelstand are not small companies, they have revenues up to a billion euros.
hnben 3y ago
> Big companies are the engines that drive an economy with productivity and employment there are enough economies where productivity is driven by small companies. For example: about 56% of employment and 43% of revenue of germany comes from small companies. It was even higher in the past. https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Branchen-Unternehmen/Unternehmen/Kleine-Unternehmen-Mittlere-Unternehmen/_inhalt.html https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Branchen-Unternehmen/Unter...
- WalterBright 3y ago
  That means most of the revenue is coming from the big companies.