WTF? Book Summary - WTF? Book explained in key points

Listen to the Intro

00:00

WTF? summary

Name: WTF?
Rating: 3.9 (46 reviews)
Author: Tim O’Reilly

Tim O’Reilly

What’s the Future and Why It’s Up to Us

3.9 (46 ratings)

19 mins

What is WTF? about?

WTF? (2017) documents the recent history and developments of modern digital technologies, and explains why, far from being harmful in and of themselves, these technologies only do damage to business and society when misunderstood by humans. Instead of fearing for the future, we should embrace it and use the attendant technological developments in ways that bring society up rather than push costs down.

Table of Contents

WTF?
summarized in 7 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 7

What’s in it for me? Take a peek at what’s under the lid of our digital world.

You know the feeling: you finally come face to face with the latest and greatest talking-touchscreen-waterproof-artificially-intelligent wristwatch, and you find yourself thinking, “WTF?”

And whatever amazement you may be feeling is probably balanced out by an equal amount of alarm, because let’s face it – technology isn’t only nifty and fun. It’s also completely transforming the world and the ways we live in it, which is slightly scary.

These blinks are about two tech developments in particular – platforms and algorithms – and how they’ve become the building blocks of almost all new technologies.

From humble yet exciting beginnings to almost-global influence, their story is an exciting one. So get ready to learn how they work, what applications they have beyond science and technology and also how to handle any problems that may be – or already have been – created by them.

You’ll also learn

what a “two-pizza team” is;
why algorithms are like Arabian djinns; and
where machines have already taken over.

Digital platforms and algorithms have revolutionized the technology industry.

Remember when you saw your first touchscreen phone or virtual-reality headset? Or when your first Uber car arrived at your doorstep? You may have thought, “WTF?” The new technologies just keep on coming – and they’re forever changing the world we live in.

Two monumental developments are at the heart of the modern industry: artificial intelligence, in the form of algorithms, and modern digital platforms.

Modern digital platforms are based on open-source software, which was developed in the 1990s. This type of software is free, and any user can access and edit it for the benefit of all – a model that’s diametrically opposed to closed-software platforms such as those used by Microsoft, who dominated the industry at the time by locking hardware developers into their operating systems.

The shift began with the rise of Linux, and was highlighted in a 1997 paper by Eric Raymond called “The Cathedral and the Bazaar.” Rather than worshipping at the altar of Microsoft, Linux users worldwide, from hackers to developers, pooled their resources and encouraged the free trade of knowledge.

This established a template for digital platforms, where the level of freedom and cooperation generates rapid growth. Modern companies such as Uber and Amazon are built around this model, acting either as hosts or as a marketplace to connect users

But these platforms couldn’t operate at such a level of complexity without the algorithms that govern them.

Every platform is run by multiple algorithms, each designed to complete a specific task. Computer algorithms can process enormous amounts of data in almost no time at all and manage complex functions that no human could handle, such as coordinating the vast Uber network of passengers and drivers.

Once programmed, algorithms operate independently. Because of this, they’re often referred to as a sort of artificial intelligence, or AI. And their operations are only becoming more advanced.

So, now that you understand the principles of these two developments, let’s take a look at the effects that they have on businesses and the world around them. First up: platforms.

The platform model could increase business and government autonomy.

From Google to Amazon, Foursquare to Lyft, user-based platforms have proven immensely successful and lucrative. But what if you applied this model to other structures?

Let’s find out with the help of Amazon, which is structured around many two-pizza teams – a phrase the company coined to refer to a team small enough to be fed by two pizzas. Each team has the freedom to pursue its own goals, and has a specific customer in mind, even if that “customer” is within the company.

Algorithms have restructured traditional business models by taking on the bulk of work.

The platform model may be the new face of technology, but it wouldn’t exist without algorithms. So how exactly might these affect business structures? Well, they’ve actually already begun influencing traditional business hierarchies. Indeed, Amazon’s two-pizza teams may well have been inspired by algorithms, considering how similarly they function.

Like these teams, some algorithms independently monitor and regulate their own efficiency through what is known as a fitness function. They produce smaller programs to approach specific goals in different ways, and can then assess their efficiency and delete those that don’t perform as well, keeping only the best in service.

In the worlds of media and finance, the artificial intelligence of algorithms has gotten out of control.

When you think of rogue AI, you might imagine HAL9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey or Skynet in The Terminator. But you can rest easy once the credits roll because these are a long way from reality. Right?

Well, there are actually rogue algorithms already operating, and some of them are right under our noses.

Digital technologies are either replacing or redefining our traditional job infrastructure.

From bank tellers to ticket offices, you’ve probably seen the effects of automation, or at least heard somewhere that machines are taking our jobs. But is this actually happening?

To some extent, yes. We’re currently unable to find new forms of work as fast as we’re making others obsolete. In the twentieth century, an economist called John Maynard Keynes referred to this as technological unemployment, and it’s responsible for much of our apprehension about technology.

Technological unemployment can be fixed by re-skilling and digitally augmenting workers.

During the early nineteenth century, British weavers in Nottinghamshire intentionally destroyed many of the new machine looms that had recently been introduced because the machines were threatening their traditional craftsmanship. The weavers were following the example of the folk hero Ned Ludd, who’d supposedly done the same years earlier. This is actually the root of the word Luddite – someone who opposes technological changes.

Their concerns were justified, and the new technology led to widespread unemployment, as described by John Maynard Keynes. But Keynes, speaking metaphorically, went on to describe this period of worker redundancy as “growing-pains” rather than old age – and, sure enough, employment did eventually bounce back.

By changing current regulations and attitudes, we can embrace new technology for the benefit of all.

The world will continue to change, thanks to the development of new technologies. But what will either limit or liberate you is how you approach the new, and whether you’re willing to work with, rather than against, it.

A good place to start is by no longer applying old regulations to new technologies. A lot of the conflict between regulators and technology companies comes from the fact that certain rules just don’t apply anymore.

Want to see all full key ideas from WTF??

Key ideas in WTF?

More knowledge in less time

Read or listen

Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.

Find your next read

Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.

Shortcasts ^New

We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

Best quote from WTF?

The US government originally designed GPS tracking systems for Air Force satellites; later, President Reagan offered it up for commercial use.

—Tim O’Reilly

About the Author

Tim O’Reilly is the founder and CEO of O’Reilly Media, a technical book publisher that seeks to share recent knowledge and developments. He has helped to identify and shape public responses to many of the biggest technological advances and trends of the last 30 years, and helped popularize terms such as “open-source software” and “Web 2.0.”

Who should read WTF??

Business leaders seeking to understand and implement digital technologies
Technophobes who want their fears pacified
People interested in the recent history of technology

Categories with WTF?

Technology & the Future Economics

Books like WTF?

The Inevitable

Kevin Kelly

Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future

16 min

4.2

The Fourth Industrial Revolution

Klaus Schwab

A new transformation in technology and industry

Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity

The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems and the Economic World

Six Steps to Unlock Your True Motivation, Harness Your Willpower, and Get Out of Your Own Way

The New Industrial Revolution

Ten Dangerous Trends That Imperil Our Future, and How to Survive Them

How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution

Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control

22 min

4.5

Big Data

Viktor Mayer-Schönberger and Kenneth Cukier

A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work and Think

24 min

4.4

How to Future

Scott Smith with Madeline Ashby

Leading and Sense-making in an Age of Hyperchange

25 min

4.1

Tools and Weapons

Brad Smith and Carol Ann Browne

The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age

26 min

4.1

The Future of the Professions

Richard Susskind and Daniel Susskind

How Technology Will Transform the Work of Human Experts

Escape 9–5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich

How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism

23 min

4.2

The Power of Discipline

Daniel Walter

How to Use Self Control and Mental Toughness to Achieve Your Goals

14 min

4.4

Presentation Advantage

Kory Kogon

How to Inform and Persuade Any Audience

17 min

4.6

Built to Move

Kelly Starrett & Juliet Starrett

The Ten Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully

An uncommon guide to rapid fat-loss, incredible sex and becoming superhuman

Merging Technologies and People for the Workforce of the Future

26 min

4.3

Rich Dad’s Cashflow Quadrant

Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter

Guide to Financial Freedom

How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World

The Bulletproof Plan to Age Backward and Maybe Even Live Forever

Technology and the End of the Future

How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation

Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

28 min

4.4

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Stephen R. Covey

Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

19 min

4.7

Flow

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Companies, Countries, People – and the Fight for Our Future

A Radical New Approach to Depression

A Self-Help Book for Societies

The Story of Globalization Through Ten Extraordinary Lives

An Epic Science Fiction Novel on the Politics of Humanity

The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business (and in Life)

Using the Power of Questions to Communicate, Connect, and Persuade

A Dystopian Novel on the Perils of State Control & New Technology

Language as a Window into Human Nature

How to Think and Act Like the Most Successful and Highest-Paid People in Every Field

26 min

4.2

The Millionaire Fastlane

MJ DeMarco

Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime!

16 min

3.8

15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management

Kevin Kruse

The Productivity Habits of 7 Billionaires, 13 Olympic Athletes, 29 Straight-A Students, and 239 Entrepreneurs.

20 min

4.5

No Hard Feelings

Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy

The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work

21 min

4.4

The Squiggly Career

Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis

Ditch the Ladder, Embrace Opportunity and Carve Your Own Path Through the Squiggly World of Work

A Revolutionary Approach to Success

21 min

4.4

Transforming Project Management

Duane Petersen

An Essential Paradigm for Turning Your Strategic Planning Into Action

A Young Prince’s Tragic Descend Into Madness and Revenge

24 min

4.8

Discipline Is Destiny

Ryan Holiday

The Power of Self-Control

18 min

4.7

From Strength to Strength

Arthur C. Brooks

Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life

19 min

4.5

People ❤️ Blinkist

Sven O.

It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

Thi Viet Quynh N.

Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

Jonathan A.

Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

Renee D.

Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.