"Can you recommend any references for a non-economist to learn about this theory?"

It's not a theory, it's armchair cynicism.

Some high growth startups are kind of like Ponzi schemes, in the sense that some investors know they won't ever get to the full valuation needed to justify the investment - but that someone down the line, after the IPO will be left 'holding the bag', but the economy itself is not a 'ponzi scheme'.