I asked ChatGPT to read my book, The Flight of a Wild Duck. That was fine—it did so in an instant. I then asked for its opinion. What it wrote made me very happy because it reflected exactly my original intentions. The Flight of a Wild Duck is remarkable—deeply human, intellectually rich, and uncommonly honest. … Continue reading
Category Archives: Avram’s Past
Intel Capital: A Financial Success and a Strategic Failure-A Point of View from the Co-Founder
When Les Vadasz and I started Intel Capital in 1991 (I had already been doing minority investments since 1988), we had three objectives: We believed, correctly, that by working with early-stage companies we could gather important insight into future opportunities and challenges. That part was true, but our inability to use this information to inform … Continue reading
End of Time and Space-A reflection
Yesterday, I had a wide-ranging interaction with my dear friend, Mark Goldstein. I am not sure how to describe a Zoom call when it is just between friends. It is clearly not a meeting, but perhaps a virtual get-together? I have been checking in online with friends all over the world during these difficult times. … Continue reading
The early history of the Thoraxcenter
Fifty-five years ago, I moved from San Francisco to Rotterdam to join the staff of the Thoraxcenter, which became one of the world’s leading heart centers. It has been 50 years since I was last there. Nico Bruining, the current occupant of my previous position as head of the computer department, kindly invited me to … Continue reading
Yossi Elaz 1947-2024
Yossi Elaz (left and Israel Brill (right). Rehovot Israel aroundd 1978. Me at that time Sadly, I am writing once more about a dear friend, Yossi Elza) who passed away a few days ago. The number of such occasions is accelerating, I am afraid. I moved to Israel for the first time in 1974, fifty … Continue reading
Israel and the Shattered Mirror
I try to write about Israel and, in particular, the war, which began on Oct. 7th, but I become overwhelmed with emotion and confusion. I feel like I am looking at my image in a shattered mirror. I can recognize myself in the fragments, but parts of my face are missing or distorted. There is … Continue reading
How Intel mistakes being lucky for being smart
I always say that two things make for success: being lucky and not mistaking luck for being smart. Luck is the most impactful factor contributing to success. It is generally not sufficient, but it is usually the most important. This is a crucial lesson for all business professionals, as mistaking luck for being smart can … Continue reading
The Book I Never Finished Writing
It was the summer of 1966. I was 21 years old. Having spent almost a year in Europe mainly in Paris and London writing poetry, it had been my plan to emigrate to Israel and live on a kibbutz. I had gotten as far as Athens when for reasons I still do not understand, I … Continue reading
Geoffrey Wells (June 9,1945-July 26, 2024)
The friends that I made when I was young are slowly dying. We are no longer at the stage where people will say, “he died so young.” Even though I understand that death is what follows life, it remains a bit uncomprehensible It was 1966 when Geoff and I first met. He was a bit … Continue reading
Eighty Pages for eighty years
On January 27, 2025, I turn eighty years old. Frankly, this is hard for me to comprehend. I remember when my father turned eighty, and I thought he was so old. Now, all the talk about how Trump and Biden are too old has had some effect on me, even though I am for sure … Continue reading
Two Thirds Done 