I highly suggest consuming the full piece here (28 min. read time)

Patrick Collison and Tyler Cowen called for a new science of progress. Eli gives his input on the economic and forward-facing portion of progress studies in general. 

From an economic perspective to move the needle, Eli believes there are three criteria: Economic significance (not all human welfare is captured by GDP or spending), low productivity over the last few decades (addressing the industries that have low relative productivity gains), and the existence of a path to much higher productivity (focusing on the industries where there are plausive large productivity gains to be had). 

“…four areas from which we could derive massive increases in human welfare: health, housing, energy, and transportation/logistics. If we want to progress, we need a relentless push for innovation and dynamism in these sectors.” — Eli Dourado

“…the US tech industry as represented by Silicon Valley venture capitalists dramatically underinvests in highly regulated sectors…We need new companies operating in regulated spaces so that regulators feel a sense of urgency to reform.” — Eli Dourado

“…China is killing us in all the areas where we are stagnating. China is still a middle-income country, yet they already have longer healthy lifespans than Americans do.” — Eli Dourado

“…the progress described in this post represents an agenda that should appeal to the entire political spectrum. It is difficult to see how we could achieve massive productivity gains in these four key areas and anyone could be left behind. It doesn’t matter whether you are rich or poor, urban or rural. Everyone’s living standards would rise if we could achieve the milestones I have set out.” — Eli Dourado

I highly suggest consuming the full piece here (7 min. read time)

“In his classic 2008 essay ‘1000 True Fans,’ Kevin Kelly predicted that the internet would transform the economics of creative activities: To be a successful creator you don’t need millions. You don’t need millions of dollars or millions of customers, millions of clients or millions of fans. To make a living as a craftsperson, photographer, musician, designer, author, animator, app maker, entrepreneur, or inventor you need only thousands of true fans.” — Chris Dixon

“Social platforms will continue to be useful for building audiences (although these too should probably be replaced with superior decentralized alternatives), but creators can increasingly rely on other methods including NFTs and crypto-enabled economies to make money.” — Chris Dixon

“NFTs are blockchain-based records that uniquely represent pieces of [any kind of] media. NFTs contain highly trustworthy documentation of their history and origin, and can have code attached to do almost anything programmers dream up (one popular feature is code that ensures that the original creator receives royalties from secondary sales).” — Chris Dixon

“Someday every internet community might have its own micro-economy, including NFTs and fungible tokens that users can use, own, and collect.” — Chris Dixon

3 reasons why NFTs offer fundamentally better economics for creators: 

• Remove rent-seeking intermediaries
• Enabling granular price tiering 
• Making users owners 

I highly suggest consuming the full piece here (7 min. read time)

“Only through a willingness to know all of our Self can we eventually become fully ourself.” — Salomé Sibonex

“No one truly knows you and no one ever truly will. Not your parents, not your partner, not your children. There is only one person who can ever come close to truly knowing who you are, and that’s you.” — Salomé Sibonex

“The emergence of private speech first occurs around 2 years old, which is also the emergence of self-regulation. Kids often talk to themselves during difficult tasks, when their focus is strained, or when they’re playing pretend games. This self-talk is correlated with better focus, self-regulation, and more creativity.” — Salomé Sibonex

“It does feel a bit unhinged to bicker with yourself out loud about whether to work for another hour or take a break, but as long as you know the voice bickering with you is your own voice and not another being, you’re safe (and sane).” — Salomé Sibonex

“Confronting and integrating all of who we are—not merely the socially acceptable side or the comfortable side—is an excruciating process. It’s not some kumbaya, drum circle, Sunday night hobby. To face the parts of yourself you know are dangerous to you and others; to accept the parts of yourself you’ve fought off for decades; to let go of the parts of yourself you hide in for comfort—that is painful, frightful work.” — Salomé Sibonex

“A destructive personality is one that’s too afraid to know itself. For the person willing to dig up what lays buried and give up the crutch of a static self, the reward is the ultimate beauty in life—to live as no one else but your Self.” — Salomé Sibonex