Max Chafkin

Ja Socialism

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 12:58:43 -0500

My cover story this month:

We venture to the very heart of the hell that is Scandinavian socialism—and find out that it’s not so bad. Pricey, yes, but a good place to start and run a company. What exactly does that suggest about the link between taxes and entrepreneurship?

Reactions from Felix Salmon and Matt Yglesias. Lots of comments here and here.

"Yes, getting to Mars will be a challenge, even for someone who knows as much as Elon Musk. So he..."

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 22:09:57 -0500

“Yes, getting to Mars will be a challenge, even for someone who knows as much as Elon Musk. So he isn’t worrying much about getting back. His will most likely be a one-way mission: a glorious and romantic and — let’s be honest — insane attempt to take civilization beyond this planet.”

- From my latest profile of Elon Musk in Inc.’s October issue.

“Someone once asked me, ‘What new technology will...

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 12:24:16 -0400

“Someone once asked me, ‘What new technology will allow entrepreneurs to create the next big thing?’ But the Next Big Thing already exists. It’s just a matter of thinking like an artist — of trying to take something that already exists and repurposing it for something it wasn’t intended for.”

—From my Q&A with @Biz in Inc.’s September issue.

What happens when you play several hundred hours of video games?

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 22:33:23 -0400

What happens when you play several hundred hours of video games?:

You write a hilarious New Yorker essay. Also: Great headline.

"Grove’s argument, like all protectionist plans, is essentially-backward looking, a bet on..."

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 22:40:55 -0400

“Grove’s argument, like all protectionist plans, is essentially-backward looking, a bet on existing industries and institutions—in this case, large computer manufacturers. But what of the industries that haven’t been created yet? Why should we be content with shoring up Intel’s balance sheet when we could be helping the founders of the next Intel? Don’t we want to next great companies and the next great industries to be based in the U.S. rather than somewhere else?”

- My thoughts on that Andy Grove essay.

I've got a blog!

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:42:33 -0400

I've got a blog!

Tony Hsieh: Why I Sold Zappos

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:10:00 -0400

Tony Hsieh: Why I Sold Zappos:

I worked on this piece with Tony. Reactions from the New York Times, Reuters, TechCrunch, and others.

"O’Reilly is old enough and rich enough to consider retirement. But if he sold the company..."

Sat, 01 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

“O’Reilly is old enough and rich enough to consider retirement. But if he sold the company today, he is not exactly sure what he would do. A life that doesn’t include helping out with the construction of the next transcontinental railroad doesn’t sound to him like a very interesting life. “When I imagine what it would be like, it’s like, What would I do then?” he says. “Right now, I have this tool that I can use to make stuff happen. If I sold it, I’d just have money.””

- From my cover story on Tim O’Reilly, “The Oracle.”

The Office is Dead. Long Live the Office. My April cover story...

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The Office is Dead. Long Live the Office. My April cover story on virtual companies. Nice attention from the Times, CNBC, and NPR.