A short introduction to Skeptocapital

Twitter has calcified tech leaders; we need new places of discourse

About two years ago, I wrote a two-part series on some of the concerning aspects of the investor class, as it seemed like the cultural battles between workers and capital allocators was becoming more protracted.

Within these articles, I also provided a comforting reflection: we had a bit of choice on how much we choose to engage with this debate.

I’ve discovered that engaging with people who are addicted to power, prestige, and attention will provide me with no added benefit, will probably just make me feel worse about myself, and there are dozens of books on my shelf — or even a call with my Trump-supporting, Tech-averse parents — that offer more sage advice with a kinder veneer than they ever will. There are many tech leaders that believe the best way to prove a point is to do it through brute force humilitation of an opposing viewpoint and the person who carries it, and this humiliation is often disproportionately lobbed at people of color — that is toxic, unproductive, and maddening. While we should admit that these tech leaders may have some power over you, it’s your choice on how much more you want to give them.

Now, I have probably over-rotated a bit on Twitter as my engagement medium of choice; this is a bit of a necessity due to being in a Tier 2 investment corridor, removed from epicenters of early-stage venture capital allocators. I’ve made some friends and collaborators - and also a few enemies, which is a natural byproduct of sharing contrarian views of a cottage industry.

But I’ve seen a more prominent pattern of even the more balanced tech leaders adopt the talking points of fringe far-right investors. Emerging fund managers count techno-libertarians with a bent toward destroying journalism as LPs without batting an eye. And with Twitter’s new ownership choosing to silence voices of dissent - banning journalists opposing their views while reinstating those with terrifying views - I am less convinced that Twitter is the proper place to voice dissent.

It feels like Twitter is become more of a self-promotion and marketing engine for investors and tech leaders instead of a place to engage in dialogue on topics that are necessary for us to wrestle with. While Twitter has kindled sweeping changes in national power, empowered activists, and moved societies, the entrenched leaders in tech have been unmoved by these societal shifts.

So, I’m going to be focusing more energy on long-form observations of my industry. I think it’ll be more cathartic, but also productive - both for you and me. I want to dive more into these topics in ways that 280 characters and quote-tweeting something I dislike ever could.

And I encourage you to offer your perspectives, too. I plan to keep this free for audiences for now - including opening the comments section to all subscribers.

I look forward to learning alongside you all. -M