MC.81: The Obscenity of Numbers

We're witnessing a disturbing phenomenon that's infecting the AI and startup ecosystem: the absurd escalation of numbers. A perverse race where attention substitutes for real value.

The $100 Million Syndrome

Sam Altman just dropped another bombshell: Meta allegedly offering $100 million packages to OpenAI employees. A claim as spectacular as it is absurd.

Why this is problematic:

• Pure destabilization technique

• Zero internal economic logic

• Creates impossible-to-manage salary tensions

Picture this: Meta's top levels earn $15-25 million annually. How do you integrate an engineer at $50 million without exploding internal balance? It's like a dysfunctional football locker room.

The Funding Frenzy Flight Forward

This week again: $34 million raised by an Israeli company in seed phase with Index.

The amount impresses, but let's dig deeper: orchestration under the guise of ultra-ambitious promises. Again.

The recurring pattern:

1. Outrageous promises

2. Spectacular numbers

3. Substance... optional

The Obscenity of Contrast

What makes this numbers race particularly indecent? Microsoft simultaneously announces 9,000 layoffs.

On one side, the apology of easy money. On the other, drastic cuts in workforce. This brutal contrast reveals the toxicity of our moment.

The Sorare Precedent

Let's remember Sorare in 2021: poster child of funding absurdity, SoftBank funding round, employees bragging about multi-million packages.

Result today: catastrophic situation, employees left with zero.

Back to Fundamentals

This obsession with numbers betrays deep panic. We've forgotten:

• Model fundamentals

• Usage fundamentals

• Balanced company fundamentals

When you have nothing left to say about your product, you talk numbers. It's the frog trying to be bigger than the ox.

The Path to Sanity

The AI industry needs maturity. Let's prioritize:

• Substance over spectacle

• Real usage over promises

• Internal balance over flashy moves

Your Reality Check

Does this numbers race concern you? Have you observed this drift in your ecosystem?

Share your perspective: when did you realize the gap between promise and reality in AI?

The Bottom Line: We're clearly in an absurd bubble situation where communicating about numbers like this is, for me, panic behavior. We've forgotten the fundamentals.

Modern Chaos explores the intersection of technology, business, and society in an age of rapid transformation.

P.S. If this analysis resonates with you, forward it to a colleague who needs to hear it. We're building a community of leaders who think critically about AI implementation.

Until next Thursday 🎉

Cheers, Olivier

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