nocrats in the late stages //
The water flows downhill and the tech fixes the easiest problems first.
When smartphones attained critical mass after the launch of Amazon, Google and other companies, a simple problem was solved by bridging data with things. You could then use your smartphone to order a car, beer in a case, a dog-sitter, or anything else that a person with money might need.
These things happened without much insight, leadership, or effort. Someone else would have built that app if you hadn’t. The funding, the business model and the pattern were all there.
It’s easy to defend the shortcuts technology provides. It’s just too expensive to moderate …”, or “the market will take care of itself” or “we need to hire someone to do the work …”
But sometimes, human beings are the ones who can bend the technology curve. They go against conventional wisdom, take the difficult paths and are responsible for their impact.
Kheyti, for example, is a good example. Patient capital may not be as appealing as the next obvious step, but it is important.
This is a question that is often not asked: Why do we need technology?
This path is clear if we are merely conduits, observers and bystanders who may benefit if we happen to be in the right spot at the right moment. Some people with influence and capital can speak out about how this is a good thing, and that humans should just stand back and applaud.
We can also show up and bend the curve.
We can decide technology is there to help people connect, find meaning, and resilience. We can recognize that technology is changing the status quo and we are responsible for that change. Maybe the tech industry will accept boundaries, responsibilities and responsibilities that are in line with the leverage they have.
Peter Parker’s uncle Ben was correct. You can use this power to seek out responsibility.
