Internet, Industry, and Investing: Difference between revisions

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Date: Monday, April 13
Date: Monday, April 13


     * Special Guest: Peter Thiel  
     * Special Guest: Peter Thiel  
Line 8: Line 9:
     * Topics to be covered  
     * Topics to be covered  


1) Is MONOPOLY is a good thing in most things digital?
 
1) Is MONOPOLY a good thing in most things digital?


2) How will the Internet-driven centralization and decentralization of information continue to impact the balance of power between state and non-state actors, especially multinational corporations, and how does this phenomenon affect your macro-hedge fund's investment philosophy and process?
2) How will the Internet-driven centralization and decentralization of information continue to impact the balance of power between state and non-state actors, especially multinational corporations, and how does this phenomenon affect your macro-hedge fund's investment philosophy and process?


3) With the proliferation of smart mobile devices like the I-Phone, how will our interactions in an increasingly mobile world become more efficient, more productive, and ultimately how will it change the way we interact with our environment?
3) Given the recent destruction of many industries, what role with the Internet play in helping to fulfill the promise of creative destruction discussed by economists like Schumpeter?  


4) How is social media and increasing transparency changing personal and corporate accountability, and how will these changes influence corporate responsibility, including environmental responsibility, going forward?


5) Given your role as the managing partner at the Founders Fund, where do you see the greatest innovation taking place in the Internet-space among start-ups?
    * Readings


6) Do you buy into the Black Swan phenomenon and, if so, how do you think about the Black Swan phenomenon as it relates to the Internet, the environment, and investing?
'''Required
'''


http://www.hoover.org/publications/policyreview/14801241.html The Optimistic Thought Experiment - By Peter Thiel


    * Readings
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200905/imf-advice The Quiet Coup - By Simon Johnson
 
News items/blog posts on Facebook and monopoly power/anti-trust issues:
 
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=54964476066&topic=7960
 
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=67758697570&topic=7569
 
http://venturebeat.com/2009/03/31/is-the-big-facebook-advertising-experiment-working/
 
http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/item/facebook-owns-us-all/friended/
 
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c62b0e4c-2243-11de-8380-00144feabdc0.html
 
http://venturebeat.com/2009/04/08/trying-to-analyze-facebooks-latest-statistics-more-status-updates-more-content-sharing/
 
'''Optional
'''
 
Review Professor Zittrain's, The Future of The Internet: And How to Stop It
 
http://futureoftheinternet.org/
 
 
 
* Technology Tweak: Active and Engaged Class Discussion
 
1) Cold-calling will take place throughout the class. Each student will be asked to prepare 2 questions for Peter Thiel. 1 question on the vice or virtue of Monopolies online and 1 on any topic.


David and Andrew will meet with Peter Thiel in late February to compile a suitable list of readings.
2) Nametags. Every student will be required to have a clearly visible nametag throughout the session.


3) Strict laptops down policy. Any violation provokes a cold-call. *Except* for 4 assigned "twitterers".


    * Session owners: Andrew Klaber and David Levine
4) 4 people are assigned to "tweet" and follow the http://www.search.twitter.com to see if outside people have questions. They will be encouraged to ask outsiders if they have questions/comments for Peter.


* Tech Tweak: Question tool
5) Video-streaming to encourage outside viewing and questions.




http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/chooser.php
  * Session owners: Andrew Klaber and David Levine

Latest revision as of 14:10, 11 May 2009

Date: Monday, April 13 


   * Special Guest: Peter Thiel

Peter Thiel (born 1967) is an American entrepreneur, hedge fund manager, and venture capitalist. With Max Levchin, Thiel co-founded PayPal and was its CEO. He currently serves as president of Clarium Capital Management LLC, a global macro hedge fund with more than $6 billion under management, and a managing partner in The Founders Fund, a $275 million under management venture capital fund he launched with Ken Howery and Luke Nosek in 2005. He was an early investor in Facebook, the popular social-networking site, and sits on the company’s Board of Directors. Thiel was ranked #377 on the Forbes 400, with a net worth of $1.3 billion. To read more on Peter see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Thiel 


   * Topics to be covered


1) Is MONOPOLY a good thing in most things digital?

2) How will the Internet-driven centralization and decentralization of information continue to impact the balance of power between state and non-state actors, especially multinational corporations, and how does this phenomenon affect your macro-hedge fund's investment philosophy and process?

3) Given the recent destruction of many industries, what role with the Internet play in helping to fulfill the promise of creative destruction discussed by economists like Schumpeter? 


   * Readings

Required

http://www.hoover.org/publications/policyreview/14801241.html The Optimistic Thought Experiment - By Peter Thiel

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200905/imf-advice The Quiet Coup - By Simon Johnson

News items/blog posts on Facebook and monopoly power/anti-trust issues:

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=54964476066&topic=7960

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=67758697570&topic=7569

http://venturebeat.com/2009/03/31/is-the-big-facebook-advertising-experiment-working/

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/item/facebook-owns-us-all/friended/

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c62b0e4c-2243-11de-8380-00144feabdc0.html

http://venturebeat.com/2009/04/08/trying-to-analyze-facebooks-latest-statistics-more-status-updates-more-content-sharing/

Optional

Review Professor Zittrain's, The Future of The Internet: And How to Stop It

http://futureoftheinternet.org/ 


* Technology Tweak: Active and Engaged Class Discussion

1) Cold-calling will take place throughout the class. Each student will be asked to prepare 2 questions for Peter Thiel. 1 question on the vice or virtue of Monopolies online and 1 on any topic.

2) Nametags. Every student will be required to have a clearly visible nametag throughout the session.

3) Strict laptops down policy. Any violation provokes a cold-call. *Except* for 4 assigned "twitterers".

4) 4 people are assigned to "tweet" and follow the http://www.search.twitter.com to see if outside people have questions. They will be encouraged to ask outsiders if they have questions/comments for Peter.

5) Video-streaming to encourage outside viewing and questions. 


 * Session owners: Andrew Klaber and David Levine
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