Joe: Lewis, I've got a statement for you. It has never been easier to become a billionaire, and it has never been harder to become a millionaire. Lewis: Hold on. That sounds completely backward. How can both of those things be true at the same time? That's the kind of paradox that breaks my brain before my first coffee. Joe: Exactly. And that paradox is the world we're living in, and it's the central puzzle that Scott Galloway tries to solve in his book, The Four. Today we’re diving into The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. Lewis: Right, and Galloway isn't just some academic. He's a serial entrepreneur and an NYU marketing professor. So he's seen this from both inside the classroom and the boardroom, which gives his analysis a really sharp, practical edge. He’s not just theorizing; he’s lived in this world. Joe: Precisely. And he argues that the reason for this billionaire-millionaire paradox is the unprecedented dominance of these four companies. But their power doesn't come from just having better technology. It comes from something much deeper, much more primal. They've essentially hacked the human operating system. Lewis: Hacked the human operating system? Okay, now you've got my attention. That sounds both fascinating and a little terrifying. Where do we even start with that?

Joe: We start with a pretty bold claim Galloway makes. He says, "Google is a modern man’s god." Lewis: Whoa. Okay, but come on, a god? That sounds like classic hyperbole. What does he actually mean by that? He can't be serious. Joe: He is surprisingly literal. Think about it. What is the function of a god in most societies? It's an all-knowing entity you turn to with your most important, intimate, and difficult questions. You trust its answers and guidance. Now, who do we turn to today? Lewis: Huh. Well, when I have a weird health symptom at 2 a.m., I'm not praying. I'm typing it into a search bar. When I need to settle a debate with a friend or figure out how to fix a leaky faucet, I ask Google. Joe: Exactly. We ask Google questions we would never ask another human being. "How to get over a breakup?" "Am I a good person?" "What are the signs of a heart attack?" We trust its algorithm to deliver an impartial, correct answer. Galloway points out that Google has cultivated this incredible trust by clearly separating its organic search results from the paid ads. That perceived impartiality gives it a divine authority that no other institution—not the government, not the media, not even the church—has anymore. Lewis: That’s actually a chillingly accurate point. The trust is the key. We believe it's giving us the truth, not just an opinion. So if Google is our brain, our source of all knowledge, where do the other Horsemen fit in? Joe: Galloway maps them to other fundamental human drives. Take Amazon. He argues Amazon appeals to our ancient hunter-gatherer instinct. For millennia, our survival depended on accumulating more resources than we needed. More food, more tools, more stuff meant a higher chance of survival. Lewis: So, my Prime account is basically just my modern-day cave full of berries and sharp sticks? Joe: In a way, yes! Amazon gives us the ability to acquire almost anything with a single click. It’s the ultimate fulfillment of that "more is better" instinct. And Jeff Bezos was a genius at selling this vision. The narrative wasn't just "we sell books online." It was "we are Earth's Biggest Store." That simple, epic story attracted billions in capital, allowing them to build an unparalleled logistics network and operate without profits for years, all to feed that core human desire for accumulation. Lewis: Okay, so Google is our brain, Amazon is our gut, our instinct to gather. What about Apple? Where does it fit in this biological map? Joe: Galloway argues Apple appeals directly to our 'genitals.' Lewis: To our... wait, what? You're telling me the iPhone is a sex object? Joe: He's not being crude; he's being strategic. Luxury brands don't sell products; they sell status. And what is status, from an evolutionary perspective? It's a signal of fitness, of resources, of being a desirable mate. An Apple product, with its sleek design and premium price, isn't just a phone. It’s a peacock's tail. It signals to the world that you are part of an elite group, that you have taste and wealth. Lewis: That explains why people will stand in line for hours for a new iPhone that's only marginally different from the last one. It's not about the specs; it's about the signal. Joe: Exactly. And the data backs this up. For years, Apple has had a relatively small slice of the global smartphone market share, maybe 15-20%. But it consistently captures over 80%, sometimes over 90%, of the industry's profits. They aren't playing the volume game; they're playing the luxury game. They've successfully migrated from being a tech company to being a luxury brand, and that's a much more durable, and profitable, place to be.

Lewis: Okay, so they're tapping into our primal brains, our instincts for knowledge, consumption, and status. But that can't be the whole story. It feels too... clean. How did they really build these empires? Was it all just brilliant psychological insight? Joe: This is where Galloway's analysis gets much darker and, frankly, more controversial. He has a whole chapter titled "Lie to Me," and his core argument is that, for these high-growth firms, "stealing is a core competence." Lewis: Wait, so the book is basically saying 'to be a billionaire, you have to be a thief'? That's a pretty cynical take. I know the book got some polarizing reviews, and I can see why. That feels like a justification for bad behavior. Joe: It's definitely a provocative framing. But Galloway's point is more nuanced. He uses the famous story of Steve Jobs visiting Xerox PARC in the late 70s. Xerox had invented the graphical user interface—the desktop, icons, the mouse—but they were a copier company and didn't see its value. Jobs saw it, took the idea, perfected it, and built the Macintosh around it. Lewis: Right, the classic story of visionary genius. Joe: But Galloway frames it as theft. He argues that great companies don't just invent; they see value where others don't and are ruthless in extracting it. They take ideas, technologies, and even entire business models, and then use their massive capital and global reach to scale them in a way the originators never could. Then, once they're on top, they aggressively protect their own intellectual property. Lewis: That’s a tough pill to swallow. It basically says the game is rigged from the start. The big fish can just take what they want. Joe: It's a brutal reality of the modern economy he describes. And that reality leads directly to his advice for individuals. Because if that's how the companies play, the old rules for career success are completely obsolete. He has this fantastic line: "People who tell you to follow your passion are already rich." Lewis: Oh, I love that. That is so true. It’s easy to talk about passion when your mortgage is paid. So what's the new rule then? If not passion, what should we follow? Joe: You follow your talent. Galloway's advice is brutally pragmatic. Don't wander around trying to find your one true passion. Instead, find something you have a natural aptitude for, something that the market values, and then work relentlessly to become exceptionally good at it. Lewis: So, become undeniable. Joe: Exactly. Get so good at something that they can't ignore you. The recognition, the compensation, and the security will follow. Once you have that security, you'll have the freedom to pursue your passions. The passion is the reward for the hard work, not the starting point. Lewis: That feels so much more real and actionable. It’s about building leverage in your own career first. Joe: It has to be. In a world where technology allows one "superstar" professor, or programmer, or designer to serve a global market, being merely "good" or "average" is a recipe for stagnation. The rewards are flowing to the top 1%, and the middle is getting hollowed out. That's the paradox we started with. It's easier to be a billionaire because a single great idea can now scale globally overnight. It's harder to be a millionaire because the competition for being just "good enough" is now global and fierce.

Lewis: So when you put it all together, the picture is pretty stark. We have these four giants who dominate by understanding our deepest desires, and they built their empires using rules that the rest of us can't really play by. Joe: That's the landscape. And Galloway's message isn't one of despair, but one of clear-eyed realism. You can't change the game, but you can change how you play. The Four have created a lottery economy, where the winners win bigger than ever before. The key is to increase your odds of holding a winning ticket. Lewis: And that comes from that ruthless self-development. Find what you're uniquely good at and go all in. Stop waiting for passion to strike and start building talent. It’s about being strategic with your own life and career, just as these companies are strategic with their businesses. Joe: Precisely. You have to become your own ruthless CEO. You need to be curious, you need to embrace change, and you need to have grit. You have to accept that the world isn't always fair, but that resilience is your greatest asset. Lewis: It’s a powerful message. It’s not just about understanding these four companies; it’s about understanding the world they've created and how to find your place in it. Joe: Exactly. The Four have rewritten the rules of business. The question Galloway leaves us with is: are you willing to learn and play by the new rules to write your own success story? Joe: This is Aibrary, signing off.