Maybe read the last paragraph, too. He especially talks about meaningful software:
> I want to change the world, but real problems are hard. There are huge opportunities, in transportation, energy, computing, healthcare, manufacturing, but none of them can be solved on the kind of timelines and expectations that the startup community have. So many companies I see have great ideas, but aren't realistic and serious enough to realize them. I worry that we wont solve these solvable problems, because everyone just want to party like its 2009.
I agree with his overall message - it's hard (and takes time) to actually do something valuable. And I agree that we're in an age where iterative startups ("Uber for X") outnumber innovative startups.
But there is just so much wrong with this article. One of the most egregious errors is the assertion that the conditions which enabled unicorns are no longer present.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The only accurate assertion of the article - that it's genuinely hard to add value - was already obvious.
It's a modern Version of:
"everything that can be invented has been invented."
Charles H. Duell, 1899 suggested to close the patent offices. As we know today, he was wrong then.
That said, there is a point in the article that, some longer term investments are probably just not happening because a big amount of the investments is going to "short term VC gambling". E.g. personally I'm also not very happy with the little progress that robotics made electro mechanically in the last 40 years...
I guess that investing into the next messenger app to topple the current #1 is a) more likely to succeed and b) has an average return rate below 5 years. Sad but I don't see how that is going to change anytime soon. They will keep innovating.
anotheryou|6 years ago
> I want to change the world, but real problems are hard. There are huge opportunities, in transportation, energy, computing, healthcare, manufacturing, but none of them can be solved on the kind of timelines and expectations that the startup community have. So many companies I see have great ideas, but aren't realistic and serious enough to realize them. I worry that we wont solve these solvable problems, because everyone just want to party like its 2009.
nathan-io|6 years ago
But there is just so much wrong with this article. One of the most egregious errors is the assertion that the conditions which enabled unicorns are no longer present.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The only accurate assertion of the article - that it's genuinely hard to add value - was already obvious.
dominicl|6 years ago
That said, there is a point in the article that, some longer term investments are probably just not happening because a big amount of the investments is going to "short term VC gambling". E.g. personally I'm also not very happy with the little progress that robotics made electro mechanically in the last 40 years...
I guess that investing into the next messenger app to topple the current #1 is a) more likely to succeed and b) has an average return rate below 5 years. Sad but I don't see how that is going to change anytime soon. They will keep innovating.
unknown|6 years ago
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