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Falling Up the Stairs: The Tech Playbook

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Published on Mar 6, 2026
a16z
a16z
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a16z Tech history is full of near-misses and what-ifs. Marc Andreessen describes it as a “process of...

This carousel is a punch in the gut for perfectionists. One slide at a time, you watch history almost flip: Yahoo nearly owning Google, Blockbuster almost swallowing Netflix, Uber sniffing around Lyft. The minimalist layouts make each line feel like a plot twist. Together, they sell one idea: tech winners don’t follow a master plan, they just keep stumbling forward without quitting.

The Psychology Behind “Falling Up the Stairs”

  • Each slide is a clean, single sentence that lands like a reveal.
  • Big, familiar logos in your head make the word “almost” feel huge.
  • The final panel flips from history lesson to pep talk, turning FOMO into fuel.

Real-World Near-Miss Moments

Google logo

Google was almost acquired by Yahoo before becoming the default verb for search.

Netflix logo

Netflix nearly sold itself to Blockbuster before betting on streaming and winning big.

Uber logo

Uber once tried to buy Lyft as it raced to dominate ride-sharing.

Creative Variations

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