Startup[0]: A Silicon Valley Adventure by Jerry Kaplan

Story of how and why Go Corporation failed. This startup was one of the early tablet computer maker.

[0] https://www.amazon.com/Startup-Silicon-Adventure-Jerry-Kapla...

I love the stories of General Magic and NeXT. Even though the businesses basically failed, the technology and experience from them would go on to completely change the world :)

For a look at another company in this space around that time, Jerry Kaplan wrote a memoir about his experiences at GO: https://www.amazon.ca/Startup-Silicon-Adventure-Jerry-Kaplan...

Great article. For anyone who wants a book-length drama revolving around the same pitfalls, read Jerry Kaplan's great account of GO Computing, published in the mid 90s. Time is on their side, and so is the Koolaid.

https://www.amazon.com/Startup-Silicon-Adventure-Jerry-Kapla...

> Self driving cars are coming fast. It’s largely a solved problem.

Something about the Ninety-ninety rule seems appropriate here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninety-ninety_rule

I think self driving cars are much closer to 10 years out than the "today" that the author asserts, but I think everyone agree's that we've reached the point where they are coming no matter what.

To give the author credit I went into reading this thinking he was absurd but he does make a good point, some of the points I think are over sold, like planned obsolescence but I think his thesis is sound.

One point I'll make on Uber's behalf......

Two of my all time favorite books are:

https://www.amazon.com/Startup-Silicon-Adventure-Jerry-Kapla...

This history of Go computing.

and Ben Horowitz The hard thing about hard things.

https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0...

Both do a very good job of bringing the reader into the chaotic environment that occurs when startups are in trouble and both have a very similar message. When startups get in trouble having very powerful investors and mentors can make a huge difference.

Uber has some very influential backers. See:

https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/uber/investors

If/When times get tough, they have people who have a vested interest in seeing them succeed. People who can get them talking to the correct people at the car manufacturers to convince them to use Uber's platform over an internally created one.

If self driving laws drag on many years before they are settled then Uber may be fucked in the end but there isn't any reason why they can't be a cash printing machine over the next 10- 20 years while self driving cars replace humans.

As to car companies cutting out uber, there is this.....

http://qz.com/688003/ubers-self-driving-cars-are-on-the-road...

Another interesting early tablet story: Go Corp.

http://www.guidebookgallery.org/books/thepowerofpenpoint/cha...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GO_Corp.

http://www.amazon.com/Startup-A-Silicon-Valley-Adventure/dp/...

Those who don't know how Microsoft once operated need to read this book:

Startup: A Silicon Valley Adventure http://www.amazon.com/Startup-Silicon-Adventure-Jerry-Kaplan...

Hell, anyone doing a startup needs to read it anyway.

"Startup" by Jerry Kaplan. http://www.amazon.com/Startup-Silicon-Adventure-Jerry-Kaplan...