The evil start-up
What has left me in shock since the Paris ISIS attacks, is the fact that the European and French intelligence did not intercept them. While people debate whose lives matter more, more lives are going to be taken by the senseless beast which is ISIS. Because to say it bluntly, the USA and Europe’s efforts have been lousy, juvenile and overall a joke.
What are the world governments doing wrong?
Think about it this way. The governments are the big corporate company and ISIS is the fast growing start-up.
Implications?
Decision making
Similar to the bureaucracy and the corruption at large multinationals, it has taken the USA forever to make any decisions. In fact, it has taken years to make any major decisions about Syria. Look where we are now. ISIS changes its team locations, strategies on how and where to attack fast enough to take the world constantly by surprise. As a young organization, its decision making ladder is shorter.
Talent
ISIS is able to attract hungry, insecure, youth who want to feel ownership and make a difference (sadly it is a terrible difference). Why would a talented, hungry person want to work for the government? Unclear. They don’t even provide free food. The governments are failing at attracting the right intelligent talent to tackle the ever changing geo political challenges.
Resourcefulness
Do less with more is a famous start-up mantra. When you have lots of money to spend on defense, sometimes more money then you need, you misuse it and spend it on things you do not need. Bombing Syria is clearly NOT the way to destroy ISIS. The terrorist organization, has limited resources and therefore has been clever on how they use it. Instead of money, they use ideology to grow and survive.
Focus
Every start-up needs to focus on their MVP, until they find product market fit. Similarly ISIS is focused on its MVP which is a simple and straight-forward message: eliminate the enemy, anyone who is not Sunni. What message is the West sending to the world? Unclear. The USA for example, has not done much about the problem besides a few bombing, sending mixed signals to the world. It is also unclear if Bashar Assad is the enemy and if so, what do we make of ISIS who is fighting him too?
The solution?
The global governments are in no place to defeat the mighty, evil start-up ISIS. What to do? Acquire / invest in another start-up like organization to fight ISIS. And I cannot help but think of Hezbollah. Despite personally not being a supporter, I am afraid they are the best “start-up” who is invested in eradicating ISIS. They are lean, eat their own dog food, aka they fight on the ground, and already investing in the war. After all alliances in politics shift more often than my mood when I am PMSing.
