What I take away from this interview is that imitating what an industry is doing is not always the right thing to do, and may in fact create a false sense of economic “upswing.” It also creates a generation of people that potentially believe that if they have a good idea, they should get money to make the idea real without understanding what it takes to create, develop, and productize, or provide the desired value. I am seeing a movement away from business fundamentals.
Take for instance the realization of an idea.
How is the idea translated into something that can be sold? Is there a market? What does the market look like? For every dollar that I put into the idea, what can I expect in return? Is it sustainable? Can it evolve? What does the product lifecycle look like? What do I need operationally to support the idea? The list goes on.
If we lose sight of these business fundamentals, how does this affect the economy? We saw this in the early days of the internet, where anyone could create a website and have a presence. The ones that survived understood what it took to create a product, market the product, and provide sustainable interest in their goods and services.
This isn’t meant to be a criticism, just a warning. When talent is spread thin and money is thick, is there really an incentive to build a sustainable business? Don’t mistake my sentiment- building, growing, and managing through all this isn’t easy. However, building a strong company that provides real value is where my stake is staying.
