It’s a rare “All Star” hedge fund manager and technology analyst who can also design both computer chips and write software programs.
But what about a successful ex Morgan Stanley semiconductor analyst and president of a $1 billion hedge fund with five years of experience as a chip designer and programmer at AT&T Bell Labs who is also the author of four well received non-fiction books, a recently published science fiction novel about robotic intelligence and a regular Wall Street Journal and New York Times columnist? Is this itself science fiction or can a mere mortal really cram as much achievement into a fifty two year life – and still have a wife and four sons?
Even for Silicon Valley, Andy Kessler is a sickeningly accomplished guy. Moving out to San Francisco in 1993, Kessler co-founded Velocity Capital where, between 1996 and 2001, he transformed $100 million into $1 billion. Not satisfied with being filthy rich, Kessler then went onto becoming famous – publishing four non-fiction books between 2003 ad 2006, including his highly entertaining short history of digital technology, the personal computer and the Internet: How We Got Here: A Silicon Valley and Wall Street Primer. And now Kessler has just come out with his first published fiction, an irreverent novel about artificial intelligence called Grumby which Michael Lewis called “deliciously naughty”.
So who better to talk about productivity, technology and investment than Kessler, a guy who knows better than most how we got to where we are in Silicon Valley, Wall Street and Main Street. In coming into our Techcrunch studios, Andy Kessler not only proved that he existed, but also confirmed that he has a highly controversial take on technological innovation, smart investment, job destruction and how entrepreneurs really create of wealth.
Part One: Kessler on How We Got Here
Kessler crunches through the entire history of technology in five minutes (and even correctly predicts Spain winning the World Cup)
Part Two: Kessler on The World Economy
Kessler on why the global economy is still in the dumper and how technology can save us.
Part Three: Kessler on Productivity
Kessler on why pure market competition will create innovation in the broadband and mobile sectors.
Part Four: Kessler on The Next Big Thing
Kessler on the next technology interface that will change everything (clue: “take a Furby and shove a Game Boy up its ass”)
Part Five: Kessler on Where To Invest
Kessler advises investment in entrepreneurs who “eat people” – especially lawyers and doctors.
Watch previous episode of Keen On here.