Why Elon Musk could never be born in Nepal

If Elon Musk had been born in Nepal, he would likely be in jail, not leading global companies. The author argues that Nepal's reflex is to ban new technologies rather than understand and govern them. This approach is exemplified by the crypto ban, which proved ineffective as money continued to flow, yet the state now pursues its own digital currency. The author criticizes this as wanting the ledger but not freedom on it.

“

If Elon Musk had been born in Kathmandu instead of Pretoria, he would’ve had a Cyber Bureau file long before he had a company.

Beyond regulatory hurdles, the author points to a deeper issue: a pervasive acceptance of mediocrity fostered by systemic underdelivery. Frequent power outages in Kathmandu, for instance, are met with advice to "take a break" rather than anger at the failure. This reframes a basic infrastructure failure as a life lesson, training citizens to be grateful for the bare minimum.

“

Something new arrives, and instead of working out how to govern it, we ban it, and then we never get around to understanding it.

This "training" to accept less than adequate performance extends to all aspects of life. The author contends that people who grow up expecting little are less likely to negotiate for their worth or dream big, fearing embarrassment. A broken power grid, therefore, is not just an infrastructure problem but a lesson in limiting one's own life expectations. This learned helplessness, the author suggests, is the true barrier to innovation and ambition, preventing individuals from reaching their full potential.

“

The ban did not work; money kept flowing in the whole time. We outlawed the currency but could not outlaw the behaviour.