4

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

(Thanks Dylan)

I have  given most of my life to building businesses. I love business. A value-for-value exchange in an open and transparent market between two knowledgeable, wise and responsible agents is one of the high points of human achievement. To paraphrase Churchill “Capitalism is the worst form of economics, except for all those other forms that been tried from time to time.” I believe passionately in “an economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and operated for profit, and in which investments, distribution, income, production and pricing of goods and services are determined through the operation of a free market.” (Wikipedia) But the context has changed: the means of production (our minds) are not privately owned, nor are they operated for profit, nor can we say that investment, distribution, income, production and pricing of the output of the means of production are determined through the operations of a free market. Our most critical resources are at the whim of a system that secretly covets waste and force as it talks enthusiastically about efficiency and output. And what is that critical resource? The minds of engaged and able people who aspire to maximize the value they can deliver to a fair and open market for their unique capabilities.

Comments

[laurence haughton]

Great stuff but aren't you worried that those who "secretly covet waste and force" will get mad at you for calling them out? I've met a few and they are very touchy.

I'd like to add "measurement and metrics" to the list of things they preach but fail to practice.

I met an VC once who told me he, "tracks all the deals [he] turned away to see how many good ones [his] process missed." Can you imagine how fast we'd improve if all decision makers tracked their misses as well as their hits?

[Jeff Hunter]

Yes, they are a touchy lot. There are ways around that which I will be glad to share during our lunch next week (although I don't think they are very original or insightful).