Wow, I've started working in a startup and this is really helpful to understand some processes and to start speaking the same language they speak. Thank you!
Probably, the difference of opinions from the 1st point is due to different experience. I suppose your father started his career in those great times after the II World War, when the world was developing so much that there was space for almost everyone. So it's that generation of people, who did work hard, but as the circumstances were so favorable, their efforts automatically translated into success. Now, we have to slow down due to increased competition - not only related to the reason indicated in the article, but also to the growth of Asian economies. And this makes people notice that with bad luck your efforts mean so little...