How Does Being From Wisconsin Shape What You've Done?

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Being from smalltown wisconsin has had a significant impact on Ben Thompsin. He was bullish on facebook early in his career, because it is the social network where he grew up. In silkand valley, friends and family are very central to life for people who want to pursue their dreams or get away from home. His media diet includes lots of news but also deep dives into topics that interest him.

Not only is Ben Thompson's Stratechery frequently mentioned on MR, but such is Tyler's fandom that the newsletter even made its way onto the reading list for one of his PhD courses. Ben's based in Taiwan, so when he recently visited DC, Tyler quickly took advantage of the chance for an in-person dialogue.

In this conversation they talk about the business side of tech and more, including whether tech titans are good at PR, whether conglomerate synergies exist, Amazon's foray into health care, why anyone needs an Apple Watch or an Alexa, growing up in small-town Wisconsin, his pragmatic book-reading style, whether MBAs are overrated, the prospects for the Milwaukee Bucks, NBA rule changes, the future of the tech industries in China and India, and why Taiwanese breakfast is the best breakfast.

Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links.

Recorded October 15th, 2018 Other ways to connect

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