“Because globalization and technology are different modes of progress, it’s possible to have both, either, or neither at the same time. For example, 1815 to 1914 was a period of both rapid technological development and rapid globalization. Between the First World War and Kissinger’s trip to reopen relations with China in 1971, there was rapid technological development but not much globalization. Since 1971, we have seen rapid globalization along with limited technological development, mostly confined to IT. This age of globalization has made it easy to imagine that the decades ahead will bring more convergence and more sameness. But I don’t think that’s true. [...] Most people think the future of the world will be defined by globalization, but the truth is that technology matters more. Without technological change, if China doubles its energy production over the next two decades, it will also double its air pollution. If every one of India’s hundreds of millions of households were to live the way Americans already do—using only today’s tools—the result would be environmentally catastrophic. In a world of scarce resources, globalization without new technology is unsustainable.” ChangeTechnologyProgressDevelopmentFutureGlobalizationTechnological DevelopmentModes Of Progress Book:Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future Source: Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future
“When we think about the future, we hope for a future of progress. That progress can take one of two forms. Horizontal or extensive progress means copying things that work—going from 1 to n. Horizontal progress is easy to imagine because we already know what it looks like. Vertical or intensive progress means doing new things—going from 0 to 1. Vertical progress is harder to imagine because it requires doing something nobody else has ever done. If you take one typewriter and build 100, you have made horizontal progress. If you have a typewriter and build a word processor, you have made vertical progress.” ChangeTechnologyProgressDevelopmentFutureModes Of ProgressTypes Of Progress Book:Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future Source: Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future
“People don't want to believe that technology is broken. Pharmaceuticals, robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology - all these areas where the progress has been a lot more limited than people think. And the question is why.” PeopleThinkingWantBelieveHas BeensTechnologyProgressBrokenAreasArtificial IntelligenceArtificialRoboticsNanotechnology Author:Peter Thiel
“Technology and capitalism are very much linked. I think that capitalism probably works best in a technologically progressing society.” ThinkingTechnologyProgressCapitalismLinked Author:Peter Thiel
“In the developed world, technological progress means that you can have a situation where there's growth, where there's a way in which everybody can be better off over time.” WorldWayMeanGrowthSituationProgressTechnologicalBetter OffTechnological Progress Author:Peter Thiel
“If you have technological progress, that will encourage more capitalist system. On the other hand, if you don't, if things are stalled, you end up with much more of a zero sum type thing, where there's no progress and basically everybody's gain is somebody else's loss.” IfsEndsHandsLossProgressTypeGainsZeroCapitalistTechnologicalTechnological Progress Author:Peter Thiel
“I'm in favor of free trade, but I think if you had to make a choice between having technological progress versus free trade, you had one or the other, you should always pick technological progress. I think it's an incredibly important variable for creating more prosperity.” IfsThinkingShouldImportantChoicesProgressCreatingPicksTradeProsperityFavorsTechnologicalVersusVariablesFree TradeTechnological Progress Author:Peter Thiel
“The debt austerity would not be problems if we had technological progress. If you doubled the debt in the U.S., and the size of the economy doubled because of technological progress and growth, the two would roughly cancel out and it would all be a totally manageable situation.” IfsTwoProblemGrowthSituationEconomyProgressSizeDebtTechnologicalManageableAusterityTechnological Progress Author:Peter Thiel
“One of the reasons I think people are increasingly nervous about U.S. debt is because they think that we are not actually digging ourselves out of the hole, but instead are digging ourselves into a deeper and deeper hole and will not be able to pay it back because we're not actually creating the new technologies that will enable us to pay back and the money somehow is not really being invested in the future or in progress.” PeopleThinkingReasonAblePayTechnologyProgressCreatingDeeperDebtHolesNervousDiggingNew Technology Author:Peter Thiel
