1 AM and I am preparing to go to sleep. As a true Swedish internet entrepreneur, I am in my underwear with my laptop safely distanced from my skin with an IKEA-pillow. It’s hot in
No, to make it even harder for us in the quest for the valley they have chosen an alternative way of describing the world around us. Meters are miles. I think. Temperature is “in the 90s” but I am not in a sauna (back home "in the 90s" is good for one). People weigh like 200…
The only thing I can conclude from all this, the only common denominator, is that you can’t divide or multiply their physical measurements by ten for comparison.
Time is different too. Not only because they don’t use 13-23, but mainly because whenever I prepare to go to bed, everyone else is preparing for their “morning”-jog.
I feel useless in comparison. I have been tired every morning in my life for as long as I can remember, and I see no light in the morning-tiredness-tunnel. And if I did, it would probably be Kafkaesk (a train, a bus?)
People might very well be machines for what I know. I have still to prove it but my suspicions are ever growing stronger. All of them seem to have founded and sold 23 companies… and now they are 21 years old. And they have studied in 5 different Universities (all of which were mentioned in Hollywood-productions I saw as a kid).
They are always happy and positive, keen to learn about new stuff and they master the art of selling themselves. Personal failures, if they exist, are neatly being hidden somewhere... but where? Where do they go to cry? To complain?
When you are busy shaving, they just invented voluntary isolated hair-lessness. When they go to the toilet, they send 5 deal-making e-mails before returning to their cubicle-chair… which is a ball they use to continuously exercise abs.
If indeed they are machines, the greatest invention of all times is right around the corner… as I imagine that future versions will include features like:
Spontaneity
Self-irony
Imperfection
Non-pretentiousness
Sense of (dry European) humor (Id pay extra)
But then again, maybe theyre not. Maybe they are flesh and blood like you and I… and maybe the valley is just a state of mind… a never ending struggle for perfection.
Can I just refuse to be tired tomorrow? Is that how it works? Fundamentalist control over body and mind… and VC-funding will arrive as a Fedexed package?
"Here you go Swedish guy. See? Early-birds are happy campers!"
I will try. I will set the alarm… 9 AM… it’s early for a Monday… but I can do it!
I can be one of them...
... but is it worth it? How does it feel?
Henry Perry