I’ve been listening to more podcasts so you know what that means, you get my random takeaways from it. *roaring applause heard in the background*
I’ve still been listening to the same guy, Dan Carlin, who does the Hardcore History podcast. His storytelling is quite incredible. I’m interested to know how much of what he talks about in the podcast he writes down before he speaks it in his podcast and how much is just information that he knows by heart from all of his research.
Perhaps one of the things I love most about his storytelling is his ability to make analogies that are far-reaching but somehow still make sense.
I’m listening to his “Supernova in the East” podcast talking about the explosion of the Japanese empire in the 20th Century and many of the events in WW2. The Japanese dominating much of the beginning conflict.
One of the analogies he made, while I was listening recently, was just after Pearl Harbor. This is when America declares war on Japan but still hasn’t declared war on Germany. It’s not until after Germany declares war on America that they are in the war on the western front of Europe. The move of Hitler declaring war on the USA is a move that still confuses many today.
The analogy came just after he quoted Churchill after the American’s got involved. He basically says he knew as soon as the US got involved, the war was over. He knew it may take some time, but he knew it was over – in their favor.
But how does this work now with two fighting forces fighting on the same battle ground? Who’s commanding them? This is where the analogy came.
The American’s entering WW2 was much like a startup.
You have the few people who have been around since the beginning (of the war). England, Germany, Russia, Japan, etc. So these powers are extremely skilled in what they do. They know the ins and outs of the company and what works and what doesn’t.
But they’re tired and at their witts end. They need help desperately. Enter: America.
America comes in like the investor. As the newest member of the team, they’re going to know the least about the fighting ground and have the fewest people who know what they’re doing. However, the money and resources that this investor will bring will give them pretty much the top bargaining spot. The startup needs them, they can’t survive without them.
This can be very difficult as you have people who know what they’re doing and have been doing it for years but then big investor comes in and says they’re going to take much of that. It’s helpful but also very hard.