Entrepreneurship as Art

I freaking love this article. The core of it:

Over the past fifteen years, startups have been catalyzing global cultural changes that had previously been the realm of artists. Facebook is the perfect example, a company nominally driven by a desire to “change the way people interact”, a phrase that could just as easily be spoken by a conceptual artist. (…) One could argue that it’s all art, but the medium has shifted from canvas to Delaware C Corporations.

One, I think it’s a great thought, and very well put. I, and many other tech entrepreneurs that I know, are all motivated by this aspect of starting up. I just tend to think of it as “tweaking culture”, kind of in the same way that a 1950’s gearhead tweaked his engine.

Two, I love how unapologetically long-term Brad is thinking:

I don’t think this is a trend we’ll see culminate in the next 5 or even 10 years — this one is going to take thirty years to fully play out and the effects will be felt for decades if not centuries.

That’s the way my head works too. Don’t talk to me about 5 or 10 year impacts—how is the shit we’re doing affecting the future? How will my kids lives be different because of what we’re building?

This is why I go to work in the morning.