It's been a bit over 30 years and this thing above was the first computer 'shipped' by Apple in 1976. It actually came without monitor, keyboard and mouse and was priced close to 700 bucks, while the user had to build their own casing. Now Apple is valued at 282 billion in stock and is by far the most valuable tech company. Is this just about being at the right place at the right time with the right idea ? Or is it about having the right vision ? Perhaps both , but we should also consider the fact that in our finance-based economy a guy with a vision and will not come very far on his own. First family and friends lend a few hundred bucks until the first seed capital comes in from a venture capital fund. That leads to more exposure, improvements in product offerings and support in human resources. Then come the cornerstone investors, rich guys with too much cash to their disposal and the ability to smell the bacon before it is cooked. This then leads to an IPO eventually and the average Joe can then participate in the company's future by investing his hard earned cash
in shares. Needless to say that the venture capitalists and cornerstones have been holding on to their shares which they bought for pennies and make a killing as soon as a company becomes public.
Sometimes I start to wonder who the real innovators are - those with vision and drive to create something that everyone wants, or those who invent complex financial tools nobody understands to milk the rest of us.
There are two worlds out there, but what's new ? AJ
Ha ha ha...fantastic! These people should be called the 'Maestro's of Desire' - they brew the baffling combination of a complex financial tool married to an innovation that creates a drink so exciting that we feel we must consume it to be one of the many who consume it too, no matter what the cost. PJ
ReplyDelete