Learning From Alex Karp
; 3 mins read
I recently completed Michael Steinberger's book on Alex Karp and Palantir and was intrigued by many things I came across. I'll note some of them below.
1. Convergence of Opposing Views
Alex Karp and Peter Thiel first met as Stanford Law School roommates. At the time, they held very opposite beliefs (Karp tended to socialism and Thiel to capitalism). Over the 2+ decades that they worked on Palantir, I find it interesting that some of their initially opposing views converged. As Karp lived through substantial Palantir experiences, like building out the defense business with Doug Philippone, I believe he [and Thiel] became more techno-nationalistic and came to evangelize Western power. At the end of the day, we are a product of our lived experiences and reactions to them.
2. The Value of Education
Karp holds three degrees (BS, JD, PhD). Why does it feel like most people in my generation are less inclined to pursue education past the undergraduate level? Karp's time completing his PhD in Germany was substantial to his worldview, which gave him a level of clarity as he led Palantir. Does our rush to begin a career potentially sacrifice these kinds of opportunities for opining on the world? Or, has the paradigm shifted and is a career the new place to formulate worldviews? Why do so many young people seem indifferent to this notion of having an opinion on the world as we know it?
3. Pragmatism Over Headlines
Karp seems much more level-headed than I anticipated. I only knew him through the headlines and occasional articles, but Steinberger really portrayed him as someone far more pragmatic than I believe the media makes him out to be. When he expressed Palantir as a company serving America — not telling America what to do via rejection of business — I resonated with that. It was not his nor Palantir's place to assert something on the government's decisions. We, of course, did see this belief get challenged with various global affairs that Palantir was involved in, especially in the Biden and ongoing Trump terms.
4. Identity Is a Choice
Identity is a choice. This is how Karp explained to his brother, Ben, why he was more explicitly aligned with Jewish people than Black people despite having a parent from each demographic. He explained that he is with Black people, but they just do not know it as much.
5. Worldviews Are Everything
My own takeaway is that worldviews (opinions) are everything. You need to believe something about the world and why it's dislocated to build your own company, invest in companies (in whatever asset class), or work for another company. This is why I am spending a huge emphasis on reading; I believe that there lies much to discern from them. It's also why I reach out to and try to talk to any and every one. As I increasingly learn more, I reflect, as I am now. My end goal is to have a hypothesis on how this world should work — and then find the most useful way to enact it, whether as an entrepreneur, investor, or employee.