How To Build A Next-Gen “AI” Company

🌈 Abstract

The article explores the challenges of starting a business in the past and present, using a thought experiment of traveling back to 1900 in the United States. It discusses the difficulties of predicting the future and the importance of understanding market dynamics and societal changes beyond just technological advancements. The article also suggests that AI may lead to a shift in societal values towards right-hemisphere cognitive outputs, which could revolutionize work, education, and class structure.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Challenges of Starting a Business in the Past and Present

1. What were some of the challenges faced by someone trying to start a business in 1900 in the US, even with knowledge of the future?

• Selling your vision and securing funds would be difficult, as you'd have to compete with harsh social dynamics and racism
• Executing on ideas is harder than having them, even with knowledge of the future
• Factors like having the "right" credentials, age, and connections would play a big role in getting funding and support

2. How do the challenges of starting a business today compare to those in 1900?

• Even with a "crystal ball" of future knowledge, you'd still have to deal with real-life "bullshit" in the present, such as competing with entrepreneurs like Elizabeth Holmes, SBF, and Adam Neumann for venture capital
• The crux lies in understanding market dynamics - popular domains are inherently costly and risky, while less obvious, second-order companies may be more viable

3. What insights does the article provide about the broader context of societal changes beyond just technological advancements?

• The article highlights the non-linear nature of technological progress, with periods of rapid advancement followed by collapse and loss of knowledge
• It cautions against expecting AI to eliminate all workers or for future global living standards to match America's today, as new technologies often serve as the supply chain for newer industries
• The article emphasizes the need to consider a holistic, "Gestalt" outlook on potential future shifts across various domains, including technology, social-economic aspects, society, finance, legal, and governance

[02] Potential Shift in Societal Values and Job Roles

1. What potential shift in societal values does the article suggest could be driven by AI?

• The article posits that AI could marginalize the type of intelligence commonly associated with business and academic success, which heavily favors left-brain hemisphere function
• This could lead to a shift in societal values towards right-hemisphere cognitive outputs, such as creativity and holistic thinking, rather than analytical skills

2. How could this shift in societal values impact work, education, and class structure?

• A shift towards right-hemisphere cognitive outputs could revolutionize work, education, and class structure by emphasizing creativity and holistic thinking over analytical skills
• This could redefine job roles and the value placed on different types of intelligence and cognitive abilities

3. What types of AI solutions might become valuable in a future where the primary challenges businesses face require broader context, theory of mind, and creativity?

• The article suggests that developing adaptable solutions that can thrive in a wider array of possible future scenarios, beyond just "disrupting" with AI, could be valuable
• Solutions that harness and adapt to several future scenarios, rather than just riding the AI wave, may be more transformational