The Age of Algorithms and the Rebbe

His name is Thomas Thurston.

He is probably one of the MOST gifted human beings on the planet. He grew up in Honduras, Bolivia, India, Nepal and Indonesia. He is  BA, MBA and Juris Doctor (yes he is a licensed attorney). He is the resident fellow of Harvard Business School.

He recently wrote an article for Gigaom, Venture capital in an age of algorithms . Let me quote what he says:
Data is an ever-more important element in business decision-making, so why isn’t venture capital keeping up? When will the industry move from intuition to algorithms?
 My company, Ironstone gives investment candidates an answer in two weeks and uses a “hybrid” strategy combining human and mechanical processes, rather than a 100 percent algorithmic approach. If the data science says “no,” there’s no deal. If the algorithms say “yes” there’s a second layer of human screening. Ironstone uses data from a startup questionnaire, along with inputs harvested from a variety of other sources and is willing to be the sole investor or to lead a funding round.
For those of you who watch the Showtime "The masters of Sex"  Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson discovered that human subjects wired with electrodes during sexual intercourse did not find the answer to happiness, although their lives were more interesting and perhaps more pleasurable.



But the outcome could not be predicted. Algorithms create only an illusion of certainty, as outcomes depend upon initial hypotheses, associated with some probabilities

A Calculated Uncertain Future
While I respect the impressive credentials of Growth Science and its founders, we are only human.
If I can predict something, will be the creation of new type of consultants who will doctor your VC Business Plan or Synopsis to pass any VC's algorithm.

One does not need to be observant to understand this:
People call me “old-fashioned” for my belief in an ancient and timeless teaching and for my faith in G‑d.
In truth, it is they who are old-fashioned; for they cling to an idea that failed decades ago. The Age of Reason, of Enlightenment, of Humanism—when Knowledge and Intellect were worshiped as the Redeemers of Mankind—all this died and was buried..
Humanity, to survive, must accept, feel, stand in awe and connect to That Which Is Above us.
Rabbi M. Schneerson 
Mr. Thurston asks
VC resistance to data science may come from lacking will, skill, or a combination thereof. ... there’s no denying it’s the dawn of a new era. The age of algorithms is here. Is venture capital ready?
No. The age of algorithms is a veiled return to worshiping idols



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