The crossfire from friends and colleagues debating net neutrality has caught my attention in recent weeks and got me thinking about how it affects my industry, venture capital. We make our money by investing in startups, of course, which would not, by definition, exist without capitalism. Many of the technology startups we invest in similarly wouldn’t exist without the Internet, as they use it as a platform on which to provide their services.
The capitalistic system on and off the Internet encourages economic growth by the use of free and open markets to distribute goods. While some could argue that a free and open Internet means less regulation and oversight, my experience leads me to believe that an Internet that encourages innovation and startups is one that supports net neutrality — and unless such neutrality is enforced, capitalism on the Internet is in serious jeopardy.
Why Net Neutrality Is Important for Startups, Innovation – GigaOM
