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> while egotistically proclaiming that they alone can solve mankind’s problems source? o_O > As Peter Thiel, PayPal’s cerebral founder, put it in “Zero to One
by visakanv 12y ago
> while egotistically proclaiming that they alone can solve mankind’s problems
source? o_O
> As Peter Thiel, PayPal’s cerebral founder, put it in “Zero to One”: “All failed companies are the same: they failed to escape competition.”
Interesting to contrast that with PG's essay about how startups die primarily of starvation. Is it inevitable for all companies to go from the "startups need to focus on their own customers" to "big companies need to worry about competition" stage? What does that shift look/feel like?
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Ultimately kind of a pleasant stating-the-obvious-in-an-artful-way read. Powerful people with power and influence seek to increase that power and influence, etc.
What I'm really curious about are the personal perspectives and opinions of those folks, and their early lives, minus all the mythbuilding. Also, the various changes of heart they might have had along the way, what they changed their mind about, etc.
- raspasov 12y agoCompletely agree, somewhat typical Economist article, not bad, but nothing spectacular either.
- LiweiZ 12y agoAny alternatives to suggest?
- raspasov 12y agoIn terms of media? I used to be subscribed to both Economist and WSJ but eventually found WSJ to be better.
- rtpg 12y agoThe WSJ has some good journalism, but the editorials are often extremely disconnected from reality ( like the infamous "$120000 middle class family" bit). The Economist usually fills the articles with data, so you can disagree with the conclusion and still have a takeaway.
- LiweiZ 12y agoYes. But it could be less mainstream.