Comments on: Okay, we won. But what’s the prize? http://www.horsepigcow.com/2007/05/okay-we-won-but-whats-the-prize/ a world uncommon Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:39:09 +0000 hourly 1 By: David Storrs http://www.horsepigcow.com/2007/05/okay-we-won-but-whats-the-prize/comment-page-1/#comment-30416 David Storrs Tue, 15 May 2007 21:08:45 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2007/05/13/okay-we-won-but-whats-the-prize/#comment-30416 Tara, You've got a lot of stuff in this post that resonates with me. I just wanted to respond to a couple of points: *) As regards the "Ok, we made it, now what?" problems that companies face when they max out...I don't think it's an inherent, unavoidable problem of making it to the top. I think it's a problem that happens when a company gets to the top by doing something brilliantly (whether that is serving customers, making widgets, or discovering something new about financial markets and exploiting it (I'm specifically thinking of loan-risk exchange instruments)), but then, having made it to the top, they get distracted. Oftentimes the original founders, the people who got them there in the first place, get swapped out for "more professional" types who lack the passion and care more about the bottom line. Or maybe the founders stay, but instead of hiring competent subordinates to manage their burgeoning company they continue trying to do everything themselves. Whatever it is, something causes the company to stop focusing on its heart, the thing that made it great, and to start focusing on...other things. The company is less experienced at those things, probably less suited to them (because it wasn't built with an eye to them), and so it starts to slide downhill. Then people panic, they start thrashing, and their fate is sealed. *) As to the growth of the local...I find myself torn. On the one hand, I will drive three towns over to go to Paradise Pizza, because they have the best pizza I've ever tasted, they have great service, and they have reasonable prices. On the other hand, I will drive a couple miles to the Super Stop and Shop instead of using the pharmacy on the corner, because the guy who owns the place is rude. For me at least, it's not about "local good, global bad". I spend my money wherever I am well treated (politeness) and well served (choices, prices, convenience etc). Maybe I'm outside the group of people that you're talking about, but the "focus on the local and it will be worth it in the future" system that you're describing was one of the few things in the post that didn't ring true for me. --Dks PS I hope this comes through readably... tags are not on your list of approved HTML. Tara,

You’ve got a lot of stuff in this post that resonates with me. I just wanted to respond to a couple of points:

*) As regards the “Ok, we made it, now what?” problems that companies face when they max out…I don’t think it’s an inherent, unavoidable problem of making it to the top. I think it’s a problem that happens when a company gets to the top by doing something brilliantly (whether that is serving customers, making widgets, or discovering something new about financial markets and exploiting it (I’m specifically thinking of loan-risk exchange instruments)), but then, having made it to the top, they get distracted. Oftentimes the original founders, the people who got them there in the first place, get swapped out for “more professional” types who lack the passion and care more about the bottom line. Or maybe the founders stay, but instead of hiring competent subordinates to manage their burgeoning company they continue trying to do everything themselves.

Whatever it is, something causes the company to stop focusing on its heart, the thing that made it great, and to start focusing on…other things. The company is less experienced at those things, probably less suited to them (because it wasn’t built with an eye to them), and so it starts to slide downhill. Then people panic, they start thrashing, and their fate is sealed.

*) As to the growth of the local…I find myself torn. On the one hand, I will drive three towns over to go to Paradise Pizza, because they have the best pizza I’ve ever tasted, they have great service, and they have reasonable prices. On the other hand, I will drive a couple miles to the Super Stop and Shop instead of using the pharmacy on the corner, because the guy who owns the place is rude.

For me at least, it’s not about “local good, global bad”. I spend my money wherever I am well treated (politeness) and well served (choices, prices, convenience etc). Maybe I’m outside the group of people that you’re talking about, but the “focus on the local and it will be worth it in the future” system that you’re describing was one of the few things in the post that didn’t ring true for me.

–Dks

PS I hope this comes through readably… tags are not on your list of approved HTML.

]]> By: Michael http://www.horsepigcow.com/2007/05/okay-we-won-but-whats-the-prize/comment-page-1/#comment-29910 Michael Mon, 14 May 2007 09:40:56 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2007/05/13/okay-we-won-but-whats-the-prize/#comment-29910 I love a lot of what you say here and will be diligently tracking down a <i>lot</i> of these links. But I'm still uneasy about the distinctly bourgeois nature of the world you describe - it's a nice world, I'd like to live there and those of us with enough money or the right kind of job (like myself on odd weeks) can indeed achieve it. But is a world of boutique living seriously achievable without an awful lot of cheap labour to sustain it? I'm thinking of Aristotle or Plato - they didn't question the need for slaves to keep the lives of their citizens ticking over. I still feel that a much bigger transformation in terms of education and attitude is needed, one that goes beyond an appreciation of cute neighbourhood restaurants. Sorry, Monday morning, I haven't had any tea yet and I'm obviously a complete grouch, especially since I actually really appreciated the post! I love a lot of what you say here and will be diligently tracking down a lot of these links. But I’m still uneasy about the distinctly bourgeois nature of the world you describe – it’s a nice world, I’d like to live there and those of us with enough money or the right kind of job (like myself on odd weeks) can indeed achieve it. But is a world of boutique living seriously achievable without an awful lot of cheap labour to sustain it? I’m thinking of Aristotle or Plato – they didn’t question the need for slaves to keep the lives of their citizens ticking over. I still feel that a much bigger transformation in terms of education and attitude is needed, one that goes beyond an appreciation of cute neighbourhood restaurants. Sorry, Monday morning, I haven’t had any tea yet and I’m obviously a complete grouch, especially since I actually really appreciated the post!

]]> By: These Things Matter to Me http://www.horsepigcow.com/2007/05/okay-we-won-but-whats-the-prize/comment-page-1/#comment-29838 These Things Matter to Me Mon, 14 May 2007 04:47:49 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2007/05/13/okay-we-won-but-whats-the-prize/#comment-29838 <strong>The new Fortune Magazine story on Microsoft, Linux, and Patents. Steve so crazy. But not in a new way....</strong> ... The new Fortune Magazine story on Microsoft, Linux, and Patents. Steve so crazy. But not in a new way….

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