The article posits Apple CEO Tim Cook, along with other technology leaders, as being trapped by the obligations and expectations stemming from their companies' high valuations. This perspective is reflected in Cook's attendance at a controversial White House event, suggesting a sacrifice of principles for the sake of maintaining company value. The piece implies a shift in Silicon Valley's ethos from aspiring to change the world to focusing primarily on stock price preservation.
[Silicon Valley] used to believe it could change the world. Now it just hopes the world won’t change its stock price.