^I'm guessing it's an allusion to the economist Joseph Schumpeter. Parts of the story reflect his notions of creative destruction and entrepreneurial innovation driving societal change. Anybody who has attended management college will probably remember learning about him. IIRC he was one of the first to argue that placing restrictions on entrepreneurship would ultimately destroy capitalism and usher in an era of corporate-socialism. It was an argument very much in vogue back in the late 80s and early 90s when "entrepreneurship" and "paradigm shifting" was all the rage.
