“nobody in their right mind would hold back making revenue if it were available.” – comment on TechCrunch

There are two reactions to that comment. It either makes complete sense or you can’t even comprehend someone believing it. If a company’s goal is to make money, why would they ever turn it down? Well that’s like saying that no general would ever withdraw when they could advance. Why would they ever not take territory? A quick look at history shows us that they do that all the time:

Pericles in the Black Sea. Stonewall Jackson at Shenandoah. Themistocles at Salamis.[1] In some cases it’s even got it’s own name, Tactical Retreat

Smart companies, like smart generals, know that money is just money unless it has strategic value. You can get revenue anywhere, especially an innovative place like Google. So that’s not the question. It’s “what does this revenue bring me and am I better off for it?” If it doesn’t have strategic value, then it’s not worth going after.

It’s really easy to latch on to aphorisms or take for granted commonly traded assumptions. Getting yourself to the point where you can think strategically – deeply and counter intuitively – is difficult. It takes a lot of work. It would be easier if things fit in nice little logical boxes but they don’t. There’s this messy middle ground between ignorance and critical thinking that’s discouraging to navigate.

Ultimately, though that’s YOUR JOB. And if you don’t do it, if you don’t want to, then don’t expect the benefits.

[1] Pericles and Stonewall examples from 48 Laws of Power Law 47 (pg 416) and Law 17 (pg 127) respectively.

Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity – Kerry Cohen (short, but interesting.)

McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld (thought it would focus more on decentralized criminal organizations but it doesn’t. a look at how Russian culture breeds serial entrepreneurs and hustlers)

The Price of Experience: Power, Money, Image, and Murder in Los Angeles – Randall Sullivan (the title of this book is a complete injustice. TheExecutive gave it to me. it’s a detailed history of the Billionaire Boys Club and Los Angeles in the 80s. It’s like Less than Zero but more fucked up. on par with the Bugliosi true crime books)

Life tips from Nassim Nicholas Taleb (the article they’re cribbed from is great)

Obama and the Rise of Asymmetrical Competition (this is why you need to study the evolution of warfare and organizations)

Why Mergers Don’t Work – James Surowiecki

Warfare, Infanticide, and Statistical Inference: A Comment on Divale and Harris(pdf) (short rebuttal to Cannibals and Kings)

In the two years that I’ve worked with Tucker Max not once have I been called a “mini-Tucker” or a “wannabe” or anything like that. That’s not to say I don’t have my collection of enemies. I do and I hear from them quite often.

Since I defined myself first (look at his masthead and mine, they’re opposites) I can only be attacked on the terms that I set. The people that disagree with those terms aren’t the people I’m looking to impress. Not only did I define myself first, I defined myself as I actually am–weaknesses and all. There’s no illusions I’m trying to protect or any other “brands” I’m hoping to one up. There’s no competition for me, I’m the only one.

Deciding to be yourself is scary. There’s no one to follow, and well, what if they don’t like me? But if you can make that bet, the act of actually being you is easy. All you have to do is wake up in the morning.

Define yourself. Or someone else will do it for you. And worse, you might end up listening.