Glenn Beck on Bill Gates & Apple

[kilowattradio]

I had the strange commentator from Fox News Channel on today and he said,

"If Bill Gates tried to start Apple today he couldn't." A few minutes later with someone talking in his ear piece he corrected the statement to Microsoft. It was good for a laugh. However, I'm unaware of any laws preventing the starting up a firm in the computer industry becuase of the Government.
Oh well facts never get in the way of Fox News Commentators.

 

[maflynn]

So what's your point? That Glenn Beck made a mistake?

Who cares, we all make mistakes, why highlight his. I don't watch his show, so I missed that, but I think his point is valid (from what could understand from your post) in that if Jobs tried to create Apple in 2010, he'd be unable to.

because the competition from established players would be too great. I'm sure there'd be other factors but the point remains.

The same thing could be said about Bill Gates and Microsoft.

 

[steve2112]

The company mixup aside, Beck actually has a point. While starting up a privately held company is not a problem, going public has become a major pain due to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Keeping up with SOX compliance is a major pain in the neck and creates a huge workload. While it doesn't technically prevent a startup, it does make going public a lot more difficult. There is a reason why companies like Twitter and Facebook are still privately held.

 

[ejb190]

While starting up a privately held company is not a problem, going public has become a major pain due to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

I can think of a couple of additional reasons:
1. A promising company in the technology sector today is much more likely to be bought out and absorbed into an existing company then allowed to mature on its own as a public or private company.

2. There are so many patents out there that bringing a technology product to market is a mine field of intellectual rights lawsuits and licensing agreements that few small companies could navigate it.

 

[maflynn]

Agreed on all the posts so far.

When Bill Gates started MS and Job/Woz started apple, they were there at the infancy of the computer age. They had advantages that are no longer available to start ups now.

Patent trolling is a huge issue,
Sarbanes Oxely
Various other regulatory laws and ordinances.
Larger corporations absorbing promising start ups.
Lack of Venture Capital.

 

[Epsilon88]

All the respondents in this thread have brought up interesting points, but if you actually watch the episode, you'll see that Beck is blaming this on Obama as usual.

 

[steve2112]

I can think of a couple of additional reasons:
1. A promising company in the technology sector today is much more likely to be bought out and absorbed into an existing company then allowed to mature on its own as a public or private company.

2. There are so many patents out there that bringing a technology product to market is a mine field of intellectual rights lawsuits and licensing agreements that few small companies could navigate it.

Yeah, both of those are true. This whole lawsuit mania in the IP field is crazy. Just look at all the lawsuits flying in the cell phone market. All the major players are suing each other over intellectual property. Your first point is also true, as it sometimes seems some of these companies' main goal is to be bought out by a major player.