Summary and Analysis

Techs Enduring Great-man Myth

MIT Technology Review

By Amanda Schaffer
August 04, 2015

Summary
In Techs Enduring Great-man Myth Amanda Schaffer speaks about a one dimensional
approach towards the achievements of a single person in changing the technological history and
how media also projects these tech celebrities as sole visionaries of the technical innovation.
Amanda Schaffer centres her argument around Elon Musk (CEO, Tesla Motors and SpaceX) who
after Steve Jobs emerged as the leading celebrity of Silicon Valley. She accuses him of success
story that fails to acknowledge the importance of support from the government and their
achievements that rely on the resources and opportunities available to them in the form of prior
developments in technology, public-sector investments and the human resource managing and
developing technologies.
Amanda Schaffer also quotes writer Ashlee Vance, description of Musks personal and
professional trajectory as how, exactly, the mans repeated willingness to tackle impossible
things has turned him into a deity in Silicon Valley.
Amanda Schaffer quotes Steve Jobs words Nasty was not necessary. It hindered him more than
it helped him. Where he also acknowledges that supportive managerial practices and telling
more inclusive stories about who matters will help broaden the flow of creative minds in the
valley alike Musks employees having on return benefits, humiliated, under-paid, and the
associated agencies also not credited fairly for their funding and investments.
Amanda Schaffer concludes by saying that instead of blindly following the tech celebrities and
concentrate on inclusive stories about who matters.
Analysis-
The self-proclaimed stories of Tech celebrities and their denial at shearing credits with the
associated contributors although there is a great value for idea seems unfair.
There achievement have made them what they are but its not justified that in the shadow of all
this fame one claims for the achievements one doesnt account for. The inaccurate portrayal
misguide people into believing that tech heroes are the sole inventers while the major
contributors remain uncredited and it becomes easy for the companies to extract a
disproportionate wealth from the same as sole beneficiaries.
In the name of innovation they also utilize public investment and there is no acknowledgement
or returns from the same.
Most of the innovations by Musks industries rely on innovations by other innovators and
government fundings and subsidies as mentioned above But still too stubborn to accept this
truth and share credit, which is evident from Elon Musks words none of the government
subsidies are necessary and that he designed the Falcon rocket more or less by himself.
Also their terrible behaviour remains unchallenged as a result of this ultimate publicity. The
developers are often humiliated, under-paid, and are uncredited for their contribution.
Hence instead of blindly following the tech celebrities we should concentrate on inclusive stories
about who matters.