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I know that’s a joke, but it isn’t true. Any company, regardless of how it started, after ten years, it’s just “a company.” 1
There is no shame in calling a company "a company.” The start-up culture knows that in the venture capital world, a company is failure. But in the real world, it’s a fine thing. A successful thing. A thing to admire. 2
One side effect of the tech inequality boom is the idea that there are only two different sizes of company: tiny, spunky, innovative startups, and enormous, paternal platform giants. This idea is driven by venture capitalists and the youth that believe in it. 3
If you are a spunky, innovative start-up, you can break the rules, hire only white men, or only your college dorm-mates. And when you are a monopolistic platform giant, you can hire only James Damores and get away with it. Is this a coincidence? 4
I understand the need of tiny, innovative start-ups to break the rules. But after a couple of years, it’s time to grow up and be a decent member of society. Diversity, respect, healthy workplace, payback stakeholders and not just shareholders. 5
Companies who are not successful at becoming platform giants don’t want to admit they are “just” a company. Then they would have to behave. Instead, they remain perennial “start-ups” so they can continue to misbehave. Also, so they can beg VCs for more money. And hope. 6
But as the wise person said:
Hope is not a business plan.
7
Hope is not a business plan.
7
But the insistence on being a start-up forever reveals the hollowness of the ambition of young entrepreneurs. They are not so interested in creating a great product or a great company as they are in creating a splash that will get themselves on the cover of Forbes. 8
That reminds me of an old acquaintance in the tech world, an engineer-turned-entrepreneur. He always told me that one of his ambitions was to get on the cover of the Wall Street Journal. 9
Then, one day, there was his name and his face, in pointillistic exactness, on page one of the WSJ, accompanying the long article about him being indicted for his unscrupulous business practices. Achievement unlocked! 10
Sorry, I’m rambling now.
But, in between a start-up and a platform giant is a whole universe of opportunity to do good things in the world without being a slave to money. It’s called “a company” with “a product.” 11
But, in between a start-up and a platform giant is a whole universe of opportunity to do good things in the world without being a slave to money. It’s called “a company” with “a product.” 11
