Top articles of the week | July 31

July 31, 2021

Every week, we put together a list of our top 5 articles of the past week. Happy reading!

Why is China smashing its tech industry? Noah Smith (reading time: 10 minutes)

There’s a curious thing happening in China right now. The country spawned some amazing technology companies that can easily rival their american counterparts. Yet, the communist party seems hell bent in dismantling and stifling their growth. This article explains that it’s not all “tech” companies. They are still hellbent on competing on chips and semiconductors. The consumer facing technology companies are bearing the brunt of the backlash.

L’évolution de Québec inc. LaPresse (reading time: 11 minutes)

Quebec has come a long way since the 1950s. It boasts many world class companies and many that have global ambitions. This article in LaPresse highlights the evolution of the province’s entrepreneurial spirit. Even the expression “Quebec Inc.” doesn’t mean the same thing as it used to.

Ananke Christian Zabbal (reading time: 5 minutes)

I respect Christian Zabbal who runs Spring Lane Capital, a fund focused on sustainable investments. In this article, he calls out the hypocrisy of incumbents paying lip service to changing their polluting ways. He uses the greek goddess Ananke to illustrate the point that you can’t go against the inevitable.

The Anti-Portfolio Newcomer (reading time: 17 minutes)

There’s a lot of ink spilled about the challenges of venture capital lately. This article stuck out for me because it’s a deep view on one of the most important firms in the valley, Bessemer Ventures. The firm has had its share of challenges (and successes). There are a few interesting stories particularly about their investment in Shopify.

How to be an Effective Executive Delian Asparouhov (reading time: 19 minutes)

The effective executive is one of the most popular business books of all time. This post dissects Keith Rabois (of PayPal fame) advice on being an effective executive. The article is chock full of insights and I’ve bookmarked it to read again.