New New Thing : a Silicon Valley Story

The New New Thing explores Silicon Valley’s 1990s tech boom through the lens of Jim Clark, founder of Netscape and other billion-dollar startups. The book examines how timing, entrepreneurial vision, and disruptive innovation reshape industries, while critiquing the excesses of the era. Michael Lewis blends Clark’s personal story with insights into venture capital, risk-taking, and the cultural forces driving technological change.

Aspiring entrepreneurs, tech enthusiasts, and readers interested in Silicon Valley’s history will find this book valuable. It’s particularly relevant for those analyzing how timing and ambition influence innovation, or anyone seeking case studies on disruptive business models. Lewis’s engaging narrative style also appeals to fans of narrative nonfiction.

Yes—it remains a seminal work on Silicon Valley’s culture and the mindset of disruptive innovators. Lewis’s vivid storytelling and sharp analysis of Jim Clark’s ventures (Netscape, SGI, Healtheon) provide timeless lessons on risk-taking and market timing. However, readers should contextualize its 1990s-era optimism against modern tech industry critiques.

• Timing & Innovation: Success hinges on recognizing emerging trends.
• Entrepreneurial Drive: Clark’s relentless ambition reshaped entire industries.
• Disruption of Tradition: Silicon Valley’s approach challenged corporate norms.
• Wealth & Excess: Critiques the boom’s hyper-competitiveness and financial speculation.

Clark is portrayed as a fiercely independent visionary who thrived on disruption. Lewis highlights his knack for identifying “the new new thing”—ideas poised for mainstream adoption—and his willingness to bet everything on unproven ventures. Clark’s flaws, including impatience and restlessness, are framed as drivers of his success.

• “The greatest legal creation of wealth in the history of the planet”: Reflects Silicon Valley’s unprecedented IPO-driven riches.
• “Progress crawls on its belly like a guerrilla”: Emphasizes technology’s unpredictable evolution.
• “Human beings are pigs or chickens”: Clark’s metaphor for risk-takers (pigs) versus cautious observers (chickens).

While celebrating innovation, Lewis questions the era’s speculative excesses and “growth at all costs” mentality. The book scrutinizes how venture capital prioritized potential over profitability and how Clark’s ventures—despite their successes—often prioritized disruption over sustainability.

Its insights into timing, entrepreneurial psychology, and market disruption remain applicable to AI, quantum computing, and other emerging fields. The book’s warnings about speculative bubbles also resonate with modern debates about tech valuations and ethical innovation.

Unlike Moneyball or The Big Short, this book focuses less on systemic analysis and more on biographical storytelling. However, it shares Lewis’s trademark blend of humor, character-driven narratives, and accessible explanations of complex ideas.

Some argue it overly glorifies Clark’s legacy while downplaying the human costs of rapid disruption. Reviews also note the book’s 1990s-era optimism feels dated in light of later tech scandals.

It refers to ideas or technologies on the brink of mainstream adoption—concepts that, with minimal push, could redefine markets. Examples include Clark’s early bets on browser-based internet access and digital healthcare platforms.

• Prioritize visionary timing over incremental improvements.
• Build teams willing to commit fully (“pigs”) to high-risk ventures.
• Balance innovation with ethical considerations to avoid repeating past excesses.