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Message from the archives of Critical Communication Strategist Rutherford Hall
WhatsApp to Stephen: Oh my goodness. We have a new hero. Have you seen Jeff Bezos’ comment that AI is potentially a good kind of bubble? I thought I knew every angle of communication, but this is genius. No wonder he’s a billionaire.
WhatsApp to Stephen: Apparently he was explaining why he’s not worried about the tech stock bubble. His words were: “Because when the dust settles, we’ll see who wins. Society benefits from those inventions, and that’s what will happen here. The benefits to society from AI will be huge.” So the tech stock rally is an industrial bubble, not a speculative financial bubble. What a legend!
WhatsApp to Stephen: Yes, both are speculative bubbles, of course, but Jeff isn’t worried about the underlying industry changes taking place. Also, he tends not to be a loser. That’s wonderful. Of course, it makes no difference to investors. If you back the wrong horse in this booming bubble, you’ll still burst, only with the consolation that you weren’t completely wrong. There may be other uses for this argument.
WhatsApp to JohnJ@bigenergy: Oh no! Oil leak? where? We’re on it like a hood.
WhatsApp to JohnJ: I’m not saying this isn’t a disaster, but what I’m saying is that we need to recognize that this is a good kind of disaster.
WhatsApp to JohnJ: What I’m saying is that this is the kind of disaster that only happens when you explore, develop, and push the boundaries of production. Only pioneering companies can pollute the oceans in this way.
WhatsApp to JohnJ: Oh no! This line was meant to be a call to investors. It wasn’t a media line.
WhatsApp to GuardianJess: No, Jess, this is a case of crosstalk. Of course, he wasn’t saying it was worth paying; his point to investors was that all exploration comes with risks and costs. His point was simply that companies that neither explore nor produce are failing.
WhatsApp to Jess: To be honest, I’m a little surprised you think we’re so blunt, Jess, lives could be lost here. I believe we have always had a good working relationship and would like to see that continue for many years to come.
WhatsApp to Stephen: Okay. Although I have noticed some limitations of Bezos’ theory, I have not given up yet.
From: Rutherford@monkwellstrategy.com
To: Andreas@AIthinkthereforeAIam
Hi Andreas, yes you are right to think these things. There is both tremendous demand for new AI businesses and concerns that we may be reaching the peak. We all remember the outrageous valuations given to companies that weren’t actually in business. The point is, there’s something special here, so I think it’s important to emphasize that.
By the way, I was very impressed by Jeff Bezos’ line that this is a good kind of bubble. He’s making the case that there’s something real here, and that, bubbles aside, this is real, world-changing technology. You have to find a way to incorporate that into your pitch. This is not only a good bubble, it means you are a good company.
Best, Rutherford
Find me on Strava. KoM Sydenham Hill, London to Brighton 3 hours 04 minutes, Al Jubaira/Boda Loop — 42 minutes
From: Rutherford@monkwellstrategy.com
To: Andreas@AIthinkthereforeAIam.com
got it. So I think what we learned from the last presentation is that all the talk about AI bubbles is unpleasant. In my job, I often have to deal with negative reactions, and spontaneous laughter is never less encouraging. You returned to the product immediately and did a really good job.
I thought we needed to lean into this issue that’s at the forefront of every VC and investor’s mind, but seeing their response showed us that we need to stick to the basics, explain why you’re a great bet, and get them excited about the technology.
Best, Rutherford
Find me at . .
LinkedIn: I was struck by the insight in Jeff Bezos’s sentence regarding AI. “Good bubbles do exist.” His meta point, and it was a great one, was that if the underlying technology is real, bubbles aren’t just speculative.
Still, you must be careful. There are some ideas that are so counterintuitive (i.e. there are good kinds of bad ones) that you would have to be a real genius or a billionaire to get around them. It may sound ridiculous to say that anything Bezos says will be accepted as wisdom. If you’re thinking of saying these things, make sure you’re the one before you say them.
Message restored by Robert Shrimsley
