## Metadata - Author: [[Joe Reis]] - Full Title:: Uncle Rico and the Tragedy of the Great Idea That Goes Nowhere - Category:: #🗞️Articles - URL:: https://joereis.substack.com/p/uncle-rico-and-the-tragedy-of-the - Read date:: [[2026-01-22]] ## Highlights > excuses usually point outward. Users are stupid. Organizations are lazy and immature. The market is dumb and just doesn’t get it. While that story is cathartic, it’s mostly wrong. The more uncomfortable explanation is a combination of economics and salesmanship. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kfj9eghbgjtw8gf7jjcen9xz)) > The reality is people don’t buy ideas. People buy outcomes. They buy reduced uncertainty, fast delivery, lower risk, and visible wins that make them look good and that they can defend. An idea creates value only when paired with something scarce, something the idea itself cannot provide. > Sadly, we work in an industry where it’s almost the worst-case environment for idea adoption. Costs are usually front-loaded - integration, modeling, migration, and coordination costs. This work is usually time-consuming. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kfj9gvanhn7hh04ezkz124pv)) > traditional dashboard is becoming a "jumping-off point" rather than a destination, and how AI agents are finally closing the gap between having a question and getting a sophisticated answer. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kfj9ksytw69s7yaz6rwqcanf))