Dead players (8 minute read) (opens in new tab)

Founders used to aim for the stars. iPhones, social networks, large language models, and cryptocurrency are the sort of non-linear increments that were either created by accident or in the process of trying to do the impossible or unprecedented. The non-linear option is now more impersonal and lower-risk than ever. This means people who have no personal reason to take risks and pursue a moonshot are more likely to try anyway.