Chapter 3:
Building a Startup in a Decentralized WorldWhat Applies from the Centralized World
I have long admired Paul Graham, widely regarded as the father of modern startup acceleration. His approach has influenced countless founders and companies, and his principles are insightful for any business environment. Concepts from Graham’s work—such as “Do Things That Don’t Scale”—are powerful ideas that resonate even in the decentralized world. His writings are imbued with a Zen-like approach to business, recognizing the importance of understanding core values and the human side of entrepreneurship.
Graham’s insights into founder traits, investing, and growth apply remarkably well to decentralized ventures. Decentralization may shift the structure, but the underlying principles of hard work, resilience, and doing unscalable tasks early on to gain traction remain relevant. In the decentralized ecosystem, founders like those of the TON blockchain demonstrate that success in this space still hinges on the vision, persistence, and skill of its creators. Decentralization doesn’t erase the human factor—it emphasizes it even more, as trust in the system depends heavily on the reliability of its early builders. Therefore, these foundational lessons from the centralized world translate effectively into decentralized systems, maintaining their value and impact.
What Doesn’t Apply
However, while Graham’s startup philosophies are universally applicable, I find his political perspective to be limited, particularly concerning the broader, globalized landscape of modern entrepreneurship. Graham’s views often revolve around the U.S. as a focal point, overlooking the reality of entrepreneurship in less centralized, less resourced nations. His examples tend to reflect a Western-centric viewpoint, which overlooks a fundamental truth: innovation and entrepreneurial spirit are not bound by geography.
For instance, entrepreneurs in countries like Bangladesh, Iran, and various regions across Africa and Southeast Asia face unique challenges due to restrictive financial systems, limited access to capital, and regulatory barriers. These entrepreneurs have to navigate a system where even basic payment systems like PayPal or Stripe are often unavailable, placing them at a disadvantage. The potential for decentralized technology in these areas is vast, as it removes many of these barriers, providing opportunities where traditional centralized systems fail.
A Broader Perspective for the Decentralized World
Graham’s focus on Silicon Valley as the center of entrepreneurial excellence fails to account for the potential of entrepreneurs across the globe. Decentralized technology presents a powerful alternative for those outside traditional systems, where borders, regulations, and restrictive access are daily obstacles. In a decentralized world, the barriers that centralized systems impose can be circumvented, allowing talent from any corner of the world to contribute and thrive.
While Graham’s insights on startups are valuable, the decentralized ecosystem demands an even broader perspective—one that recognizes the potential of entrepreneurs in every region, regardless of national boundaries or economic status. In this new era, success is not limited to those with access to Silicon Valley’s resources but is available to any innovator willing to embrace decentralization’s open opportunities. In a way, decentralization enables the spirit of entrepreneurship to flourish more inclusively, connecting the world in ways that centralized systems simply cannot.
A Limited Perspective
I understand that thinkers like Paul Graham live and operate within the U.S., so naturally, their perspectives carry a degree of bias rooted in their environment. But we’ve seen this story play out before. The Roman Empire, at the height of its power, became entrenched in its own worldview, assuming its influence would last indefinitely—only to witness a collapse as power shifted elsewhere. History has shown us that empires are not eternal, and shifts in global influence are inevitable. Today, we are witnessing such a transformation again, with the rise of Eastern economies and increasing influence from regions outside the traditional centers of power.
The U.S.-centric perspective, as understandable as it may be, risks overlooking the changing tides of global influence. Decentralized technology, with its borderless, inclusive approach, may very well be the gateway to a world where talent and innovation aren’t bound by geography or subject to the dominance of a single nation. Entrepreneurs in emerging markets are rising, breaking through limitations imposed by centralized systems, and are now major contributors to the global economy. In a decentralized world, the vision of a single, dominant power becomes increasingly irrelevant, giving way to a collaborative, multi-centered landscape.