This is exactly why I’m on my power break. To be able to step back and see the forest through the trees again and make sense of the world and where nature based solutions fit into the hierarchy of meaning you are speaking about. I feel there is a fundamental shift happening and grasping the correct abstraction level of meaning will be key for many start-ups trying to make the world a better place. Thank you!
Thank you, Caroline. Your comment captures one kind of reflection I was hoping to spark.
There is a fundamental shift underway and I love how you framed it: not just in how we innovate, but in how we choose the right level of abstraction to make sense of what matters. I hope your power break gives you the space to shape that vision even more clearly.
Meaning imo is inherently part of brand building, you want to signal to others that you “choose this brand” to further strengthen your own image. How would you distinguish meaning from branding? To me branding is the only moat that’ll be left.
Thank you so much, Sandra 🙏🏻 I’m really glad the Florence example resonated with you. If it sparked new reflections on your own work, then the piece did its job.
I always saw data as the strongest moat and therefore the switching cost was high.
When I work with companies that take in new software or partners, I encourage them to look at the exit strategy should the product or service not live up to expectations.
You may be surprised to know how many don’t do this.
Yes, the perceived moat of data can easily lull companies into complacency, especially when onboarding new tools. I like your focus on exit strategy, meaning might be what attracts, but resilience often comes down to knowing when and how to walk away.
Well said… it resonates well with my own experience as well… I like the utility vs relevance … and how AI is in fact lowering the barrier of entry to all tech startups as well. Standing out is hard, sustaining even harder.
My friend and I were talking last night about Apple and how although Steve Jobs is no longer there, the company still feels like Steve Jobs. Even Apple TV shows. The meaning and experience of Apple has lived on even when the founder is gone.
As an investor, it's important to look for the meaning and relationship a founder has created between its customers and its product/solutions. I really appreciate the insight you provided on this.
I really like how you captured the essence: when meaning is deeply rooted, it can outlive founders, trends, even generations. Apple is a perfect example of this.
And you’re absolutely right, as investors, spotting that deeper connection can make all the difference.
Loved this take—especially the idea that clarity and timing now matter more than defensibility. For startup founders, this is a culture challenge as much as a strategy one: are you building teams that can spot signals early ⚡, adapt fast 🔄, and innovate without ego? 🧠
To seed, build, and nurture timeless, intangible human capitals — such as resilience, trust, truth, evolution, fulfilment, quality, peace, patience, discipline, relationships and conviction — in order to elevate human judgment, deepen relationships, and restore sacred trusteeship and stewardship of long-term firm value across generations.
A refreshing take on our business world and capitalism.
A reflection on why today’s capital architectures—PE, VC, Hedge funds, SPAC, Alt funds, Rollups—mostly fail to build and nuture what time can trust.
“Built to Be Left.”
A quiet anatomy of extraction, abandonment, and the collapse of stewardship.
"Principal-Agent Risk is not a flaw in the system.
Thanks David, really appreciate you taking the time to reflect on it deeply. You’re spot on: the goal wasn’t to deliver answers, but to provoke the right questions. That shift in perception is often where real innovation starts.
Curious to hear what sticks with you after a second read! :)
This is exactly why I’m on my power break. To be able to step back and see the forest through the trees again and make sense of the world and where nature based solutions fit into the hierarchy of meaning you are speaking about. I feel there is a fundamental shift happening and grasping the correct abstraction level of meaning will be key for many start-ups trying to make the world a better place. Thank you!
Thank you, Caroline. Your comment captures one kind of reflection I was hoping to spark.
There is a fundamental shift underway and I love how you framed it: not just in how we innovate, but in how we choose the right level of abstraction to make sense of what matters. I hope your power break gives you the space to shape that vision even more clearly.
Meaning imo is inherently part of brand building, you want to signal to others that you “choose this brand” to further strengthen your own image. How would you distinguish meaning from branding? To me branding is the only moat that’ll be left.
Great point, Gigi. I see branding as the expression of meaning, while meaning is more foundational, it defines the why behind the brand.
Branding can signal, but meaning drives interpretation. The moat, then, is the ability to evolve meaning consistently, not just manage perception.
Fantastic read. Thanks
Thank you! 🙏🏻
Florence is a beautiful example. Thank you for writing, Davide. Wire me to think about the work I am doing.
Thank you so much, Sandra 🙏🏻 I’m really glad the Florence example resonated with you. If it sparked new reflections on your own work, then the piece did its job.
I completely concur. Wrote something similar today, check it out:
https://beyond10x.substack.com/p/from-empires-to-algorithms-changing
That is something luxury market always did to maintain high markup.
I always saw data as the strongest moat and therefore the switching cost was high.
When I work with companies that take in new software or partners, I encourage them to look at the exit strategy should the product or service not live up to expectations.
You may be surprised to know how many don’t do this.
Yes, the perceived moat of data can easily lull companies into complacency, especially when onboarding new tools. I like your focus on exit strategy, meaning might be what attracts, but resilience often comes down to knowing when and how to walk away.
Network effects is the only realistic moat left. That can't be replaced meaningfully by better models, or competitors.
Well said… it resonates well with my own experience as well… I like the utility vs relevance … and how AI is in fact lowering the barrier of entry to all tech startups as well. Standing out is hard, sustaining even harder.
This was a great read!
My friend and I were talking last night about Apple and how although Steve Jobs is no longer there, the company still feels like Steve Jobs. Even Apple TV shows. The meaning and experience of Apple has lived on even when the founder is gone.
As an investor, it's important to look for the meaning and relationship a founder has created between its customers and its product/solutions. I really appreciate the insight you provided on this.
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much, Kelsey!
I really like how you captured the essence: when meaning is deeply rooted, it can outlive founders, trends, even generations. Apple is a perfect example of this.
And you’re absolutely right, as investors, spotting that deeper connection can make all the difference.
OMG this articulated so much for me. I’m a founder just about to come out of concept phase. Brilliant read, thank you!
Thank you Tristam!
Loved this take—especially the idea that clarity and timing now matter more than defensibility. For startup founders, this is a culture challenge as much as a strategy one: are you building teams that can spot signals early ⚡, adapt fast 🔄, and innovate without ego? 🧠
Great Read! If disappearance leaves no void, presence has no pull. Meaning creates gravity.
Indeed!
Hello there,
Huge Respect for your work!
New here. No huge reader base Yet.
But the work has waited long to be spoken.
Its truths have roots older than this platform.
My Sub-stack Purpose
To seed, build, and nurture timeless, intangible human capitals — such as resilience, trust, truth, evolution, fulfilment, quality, peace, patience, discipline, relationships and conviction — in order to elevate human judgment, deepen relationships, and restore sacred trusteeship and stewardship of long-term firm value across generations.
A refreshing take on our business world and capitalism.
A reflection on why today’s capital architectures—PE, VC, Hedge funds, SPAC, Alt funds, Rollups—mostly fail to build and nuture what time can trust.
“Built to Be Left.”
A quiet anatomy of extraction, abandonment, and the collapse of stewardship.
"Principal-Agent Risk is not a flaw in the system.
It is the system’s operating principle”
Experience first. Return if it speaks to you.
- The Silent Treasury
https://tinyurl.com/48m97w5e
Or, “Here’s what you can do for the first time ever.“
😊
I feel that I need to read it few more times to really get the bottom of it and make it as a practical guide.
That’s all about challenge perceptions. The most impactful tool for that is asking the questions that can move ppl into that mindset.
Well written Davide!!
Thanks David, really appreciate you taking the time to reflect on it deeply. You’re spot on: the goal wasn’t to deliver answers, but to provoke the right questions. That shift in perception is often where real innovation starts.
Curious to hear what sticks with you after a second read! :)