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Copyright © 2023 Pepijn van der Laan.
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The careful study of ancient wrecks reveals much about how – through the ages and across civilizations – engineers have solved for the same challenges in different ways

The careful study of ancient wrecks reveals much about how – through the ages and across civilizations – engineers have solved for the same challenges in different ways

Richard Steffy – Wooden Ship Building and the Interpretation of Shipwrecks

It would be worthwhile research topic to map the development of ship building to the principles of disruptive innovation as laid out by Clayton Christensen.

Ongoing advances in technology make that ethical norms develop incredibly fast

Ongoing advances in technology make that ethical norms develop incredibly fast

Juan Enriquez – Right/Wrong

Filled with highly interesting statistics about the evolution of public perception on ethical issues.

The philosophy of the Silicon Valley elite is just a bunch of ill understood one-liners from preferably obscure thinkers

The philosophy of the Silicon Valley elite is just a bunch of ill understood one-liners from preferably obscure thinkers

Adrian Daub – What tech calls thinking

Entertaining and polemic book, although many of the author’s points hardly need to be argued.

Marginal communities provide natural experiments that convincingly illustrate basic economical mechanisms

Marginal communities provide natural experiments that convincingly illustrate basic economical mechanisms

Richard Davies – Extreme Economies

Well chosen examples (prisons, refugee camps, declining cities, etc.) illustrate why economics is a social science

Natural philosophy transformed into science thanks to the commitment and sacrifice of some thrill-seeking geeks

Natural philosophy transformed into science thanks to the commitment and sacrifice of some thrill-seeking geeks

Richard Holmes – The age of wonder

Conveys lively how science was considered an undertaking for daring adventurers.

The Silicon Valley philosophy of innovation and disruption undervalues the importance of maintenance and durability

The Silicon Valley philosophy of innovation and disruption undervalues the importance of maintenance and durability

Lee Vinsel, Andrew Russel – The innovation delusion

Funny enough, the polemic narrative applies all the trick of typical innovation literature to promote a maintenance mindset.

To become successful as a startup founder: copy everything you can and only invent what you must

To become successful as a startup founder: copy everything you can and only invent what you must

JimMcKelvey – The innovation stack

The book is exactly what it tries to avoid: being just another entertaining founder story (in this case about Square).

The US is losing out in AI, due to a lack of long-term vision and direction

The US is losing out in AI, due to a lack of long-term vision and direction

Amy Webb – The big nine

The book’s set-up with multiple scenarios for the future works surprisingly well and is especiall concerning for European readers: Europe is almost completely irrelevant in all of Webb’s scenarios.

To unlock creativity, make sure you get the culture right

To unlock creativity, make sure you get the culture right

Ed Catmull – Creativity, Inc.

The best quote is not from the author: “Quality is the best business plan” (John Lasseter, director of Toy Story).

Thanks to the US phone monopoly, Bell labs could produce breakthrough technologies

Thanks to the US phone monopoly, Bell labs could produce breakthrough technologies

Jon Gertner – The idea factory

The fascinating history of Bell labs illustrates how a long-term view is essential for technological progress.

Nine out of ten times, what seems to be a human error is actually caused by a faulty design

Nine out of ten times, what seems to be a human error is actually caused by a faulty design

Don Norman – The design of everyday things

Elegant book full of fascinating examples of design thinking.

Economically speaking, AI makes prediction a commodity – and nothing more

Economically speaking, AI makes prediction a commodity – and nothing more

Ajay Argawal, Joshua Gans, Avi Goldfarb – Prediction machines

The authors see AI as just a new option for the division of labor which, although it can have rather dramatic consequences, does not support apocalyptic GAI fearmongering.

Running a socially responsible business is often just egotism in disguise

Running a socially responsible business is often just egotism in disguise

Anad Giridharadas – Winners take all

Giridharas key argument is that elites only support change to the point where their privilege is not endangered.

Facebook’s content strategy leads to filter bubbles, thereby  destroying the cohesion in society

Facebook’s content strategy leads to filter bubbles, thereby destroying the cohesion in society

Roger McNamee – Zucked

When a a big tech investor like McNamee argues for stricter regulation it makes the argument more convincing.

AI outcomes reflect the thinking of the technochauvinists that built it – which may not be desirable for society

AI outcomes reflect the thinking of the technochauvinists that built it – which may not be desirable for society

Meridith Broussard – Artificial Unintelligence

Great effort to democratize AI and peel off some layers of mistique that harm public debate (althought the case against technochauvinism seems at times a bit too shallow).

As an incumbent, organize disruptive innovation away from your core business

As an incumbent, organize disruptive innovation away from your core business

Clayton Christensen – The innovator’s dilemma

The history of disc drives and mechanical excavators showcases how difficult it is for incumbents to come out on top when technological innovation hits your market.

Make sure you create value, and maintain power over transactions on your platform

Make sure you create value, and maintain power over transactions on your platform

Geoffrey Parker, Marshall Van Olstyne, Sangeet Choudary – Platform revolution

Remember: there are many ways in which platforms can fail!

Attract the right team, set a market-driven strategy, prioritize wisely in execution and… don’t run out of cash

Attract the right team, set a market-driven strategy, prioritize wisely in execution and… don’t run out of cash

Verne Harnish – Scaling up

Densely written ‘how-to guide’ for executives who want to build a sustainable growth company.

Anticipate change in products, processes and requirements; and organize for that

Anticipate change in products, processes and requirements; and organize for that

Jez Humble – Lean enterprise

Despite the unavoidable buzzwords that come with the genre, Lean and Agile are actually sane and useful management principles.

Making a great painting is in large part a scientific achievement

Making a great painting is in large part a scientific achievement

Walter Isaacson – Leonardo da Vinci

Isaacson’s narrative falacy (‘Leonardo never finishing what he starts’) is at odds with the public recognition he received in his own day and age.

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Copyright © 2023 Pepijn van der Laan.
All rights reserved.