“Customers won’t care about any particular technology unless it solves a particular problem in a superior way. And if you can’t monopolize a unique solution for a small market, you’ll be stuck with vicious competition.” (pg. 157-158)
Introduction
Peter Thiel's Zero to One is intended to teach people how to build a company with complete control over a given industry, like Apple for smartphones or Amazon for online shopping. Monopolies are a force for good, according to the author, and we need more innovative individuals to create these types of companies. He might be right, but I don’t see it happening in my field, education.
Students are not customers. Education is not a problem that has to be solved. Institutionalized education is riddled with problems; there is no doubt. A company could become a monopoly through code that helps bureaucracy function better. You can see this already in software for recording attendance, machines for grading tests, and Smartboards for enhancing the classroom experience. However, knowledge is not gained from quick fixes and easy solutions, but from deep thought and persistent effort.
| How to Make a Monopoly |
|---|
|
1. Proprietary Technology - You own a piece of technology at least ten times better than your competition. |
|
2. Network Effects - A small group of influential people share your product with their colleagues and followers. |
|
3. Economies of Scale - The business model allows for a small group of people to create value for millions (usually around some type of code). |
|
4. Branding - Apple is the best example of a strong brand that feels irreplaceable. |
Are Monopolies in Education Impossible?
Boring alert!
I just reread that last sentence and boy do I sound like a dull teacher. “However, knowledge is not gained from quick fixes and easy solutions, but from deep thought and persistent effort.” I have heard shit like that countless times. This isn’t anything new, so why bother writing it down?
It’s weird. I know meaningful learning requires thought and effort, but I still seek out shortcuts. I even market my own company as “A quicker and easier way to your TOEFL® score.” Look, much of life does not require knowledge. I do not understand the physics of the chair I’m sitting on or the mechanics of the machine I’m typing on. I don’t need to know. And most students don’t need to know about this stupid TOEFL® test, they just want to get their score and move on.
What do I need to know? I need to know how to get a fast Wifi connection and figure out what my wife wants to hear when she asks about our plans for the weekend. And I don’t have time to waste because the world is expensive and my kids are hungry. Dull teachers espousing deep thought and hard work forget that students live in a world where money and relationships come before knowledge.
There will be a time, however, when your lack of knowledge will come back and bite you in the ass, Josh. Most people feel the sting of ignorance the hardest when they can not make enough money. It happened to you after failing to learn Japanese for seven years. Nothing helped and you tried it all: adaptive learning software, flashcards, pre-packaged courses. It was the same for your students who needed more than a quick and easy solution to the TOEFL® test. We both needed to learn a second language at a deeper level and this requires nothing less than intense focus and extensive work.
In some ways, it has been a good mental exercise to adopt a zero to one lens. I have been able to build a business that serves thousands. While I have relied on my boring teacher approach to deliver information, I packaged it in a way that appeals to busy students. TST Prep would have never gained any traction otherwise. Before offering a quick and easy solution, I was telling strangers on the Internet that they should become TOEFL® athletes and train for the test as they would the Olympics. No one wants to hear that shit.
"Creating a monopoly in knowledge feels impossible."
Creating a monopoly in knowledge feels impossible. A system for better institutional organization and content delivery is possible, but there cannot be a monopoly on the individual pursuit and retention of knowledge. Flash card apps help retain vocabulary and regurgitate definitions for an exam. Interactive games break up the monotony of the classroom. Smartboards provide more options for lesson planning. And perhaps in the future there will be a virtual teacher in your pocket, ready to deliver all the information you will ever need, but don’t we have that already? Optimization and shortcuts have failed you, Josh. Information is not knowledge, and the ancient path remains the same. Devote the time required to gain knowledge and become fluent in Japanese. There is no zero to one when it comes to knowledge.
"There is no zero to one when it comes to knowledge."
| Educational Philosophies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Education |
Students |
Knowledge |
|
Zero to One Approach |
Education is a problem that needs to be fixed. |
Students are customers who we need to make happy. |
We need to find a quicker and easier way for students to learn. |
Boring Teacher Approach |
Institutionalized education needs to be fixed, but the path to individual knowledge has remained unchanged for thousands of years. |
Students are individuals who we need to help foster self-understanding. |
We need to find a way to inspire the individual to devote the time and effort required to gain knowledge. |