Choose Good Quests
You know you're meant
to solve something
that actually matters.
You just don't know which problem yet.
optimism.fun surfaces humanity's biggest unsolved problems, the companies already working on them, and helps you find the quest worth committing your life's work to.
“All evils are caused by insufficient knowledge.”
— David Deutsch, The Beginning of Infinity
The Worldview
Three Ideas That Change Everything
Every problem is soluble.
If the laws of physics don't forbid it, it's achievable given the right knowledge. There is no limit to what we can understand, build, and solve. The only question is whether we choose to try.
— David Deutsch
The bigger the quest, the bigger the reward.
The greatest founders chose problems so important that the best talent in the world wanted to help solve them. SpaceX, Tesla, Moderna — they recruited through the grandeur of the mission itself.
— Founders Fund
Meaningful work = your passions × objective worth.
The best work happens at the intersection of what you're uniquely good at and what the world desperately needs solved. We route human attention, time, and resources toward what matters most.
— The Thesis
Active Quests
The Biggest Problems Right Now
Every problem is a quest waiting for the right team. Ranked by severity, economic opportunity, and solvability.
Clean Energy Storage
Intermittent renewable energy sources need massive-scale storage solutions. Current battery technology cannot meet grid-scale demands cost-effectively, limiting the transition from fossil fuels.
Global Water Scarcity
Over 2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water. Climate change and population growth are accelerating water stress in regions across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.
AI Alignment Problem
As artificial intelligence systems become more capable, ensuring they remain aligned with human values becomes critical. Current alignment techniques do not scale reliably to frontier models.
Food Supply Chain Waste
One-third of all food produced globally is wasted, while 828 million people face hunger. Inefficient supply chains, poor storage, and overproduction contribute to massive losses.
Aging Population Healthcare
By 2050, 2.1 billion people will be over 60. Healthcare systems are not designed for chronic age-related diseases. The economic burden of aging threatens pension and healthcare budgets globally.
Global Literacy Gap
773 million adults worldwide cannot read or write. Two-thirds are women. Low literacy perpetuates poverty cycles and limits economic participation across developing nations.