Voices
What the thinkers say.
The people who have spent careers thinking about which problems humanity should work on, and what they’ve actually said. When multiple voices point at the same quest, that’s a convergence signal. Disagreement is information too.
Physicist & Philosopher · Oxford
Quantum-computing pioneer and founder of critical rationalism as applied to the theory of knowledge. Argues that problems are soluble and knowledge grows without limit through conjecture and refutation.
Engineer & Founder · SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, xAI
Serial hard-tech founder. Has explicitly framed his career around the problems he considers civilizationally important: sustainable energy, multi-planetary life, AI safety, and neural interfaces.
Co-founder & CEO, Stripe · Stripe
Co-founder of Stripe. Co-originated "progress studies" as a field with Tyler Cowen. Funded Fast Grants during COVID. Publishes an exceptional reading list and a running page of open questions about the world.
Founder · Roots of Progress
Writer and founder of The Roots of Progress Institute. Building the intellectual foundation for a new philosophy of progress. Coined "techno-humanism" as a third way between safetyism and reckless acceleration.
Economist & Writer · George Mason, Emergent Ventures
Economist at George Mason, director of Emergent Ventures, co-originator of progress studies with Patrick Collison. Author of The Great Stagnation and Talent. Prolific blogger at Marginal Revolution.
Partner & Co-founder · Founders Fund, Anduril
Partner at Founders Fund. Co-founder and executive chairman of Anduril. Co-author (with Markie Wagner) of "Choose Good Quests," the essay that named the "hard / good" quadrant of quests humanity structurally underfunds.