Path Dependence of Startups

The source cited, Benhockers book (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Origin-Wealth-Evolution-Complexity-Economics/dp/1422121038" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Origin-Wealth-Evolution-Complexity-Eco...</a>), was a great introduction to "complexity economics". However, if you are more interested in the actual work, head to amazon and buy Growing Artificial Societies (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Growing-Artificial-Societies-Science-Adaptive/dp/0262550253" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Growing-Artificial-Societies-Science-A...</a>) or head to Google Books (<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=8sXENe8QrmYC&#38;dq=growing+artificial+societies&#38;printsec=frontcover&#38;source=bn&#38;hl=en&#38;ei=JNLUSpi3NczulAfbxdicCQ&#38;sa=X&#38;oi=book_result&#38;ct=result&#38;resnum=4&#38;ved=0CBsQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&#38;q=&#38;f=false" rel="nofollow">http://books.google.com/books?id=8sXENe8QrmYC&#38;dq=growing...</a>).

I am sorry, but this is a serious stretch--comparing the results of this simulation with a startup situation. I don't see a link to the original study, but my question with simulations and AI results is to ask to see your wastebasket--tell me also what did not work. It would be a little surprising if twiddling with some of the parameters in this approach didn't markedly change the result.

<i>3. Get as close to you can to a sugar mountain. Marc Andreesen has always said that you will have the best chances if you are located at the geographic center of your industry.</i><p>This article seems to have failed at its own metaphor. A startup sugar mountain is not a geographic location, it is a growing market.

<i>...random choices have just as much to do with guiding our fate as our skills and work ethic...</i><p>I believe it.<p>Now I'll forget all about it and get back to work.