This week, we speak with Chris Anderson, former award winning editor-in-chief of Wired, founder of 3D Robotics, author of the Long Tail, which won the Loeb Award for best business book of the year. Anderson spent 7 years at the Economist, where he covered the technology beat. He ran the China bureau for the economist during the era of the Hong Kong handover to China.
In a wide-ranging and fascinating conversation, Anderson describes life at the forefront of technology for decades. His insights into why technology is so disruptive have been ahead of the curve for a long time. His vantage point as an author, journalist and a “maker” are unique.
His current position came out of a hobby: He was designing, building and flying drones with his kids for fun. He began selling drone kits as a fun, and the demand quickly scaled up to $5 million per year. He launched 3D Robotics in 2009, where he is currently CEO.
Anderson describes how the dotcom era’s over-valuation led many people to discount its true value. The popping bubble masked the organic growth and rapid adaptation by the public, causing many to fail to appreciate the lasting significant of the internet.
All of the books Anderson references can be found here.
You can stream/download the full conversation, including the podcast extras, on iTunes, Soundcloud, Overcast, and Bloomberg. Our earlier podcasts can all be found on iTunes, Soundcloud, Overcast and Bloomberg.
Next week, we speak with Duff McDonald, author of two critically acclaimed books: The Golden Passport about issues with Harvard Business School, and The Firm about the havoc wreaked by McKinsey & Co.
