Palantir’s New Clothes: Foundry, AIP, & the Failure of Reason

“You think it is helpful having a fluorescent green praying mantis coming into their offices telling them about German philosophy? Do you think that’s helpful? I can tell you it’s not helpful.”

That is Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir Technologies, discussing his disconnect with his own engineers, according to biographer Michael Steinberger’s excellent book, The Philosopher in the Valley.

For anyone interested in (or affected by) Palantir, Steinberger’s book is mandatory reading.

Elsewhere, we learn Peter Thiel, Palantir’s Chairman and true founder, waxes absolutely poetic talking about Karp.

“My riff on Alex is that he’s working out some psychological issues where he has to do things in this really, really hard way versus the straightforward, easy way.”

I have spent some time with Peter. I like him a lot. He’s a great guy.

I have not met Alex, but the book made me appreciate him.

I mean, aren’t we all working out psychological issues and doing things the really, really hard way? I’m not a praying mantis or green, but I get it. I am writing this, after all.

So, what I am about to go on and on about is not meant to be personal.