Eric’s Introduction
Have you ever wanted to sit with Balaji Srinivasan and spend a few hours deep in conversation? That’s exactly what this book feels like. Here, you can absorb all his biggest ideas to apply them to your own life.
I created this book from hundreds of hours of podcasts, posts, and tweets he has produced in the past decade. By collecting, selecting, curating, and threading them together in this book, I’ve given you the best of Balaji in a few hours of reading.
Balaji is a brilliant entrepreneur, engineer, investor, and futurist. His ideas are unique, insightful, and often divisive. You may not like or agree with what you read here—but you will think new thoughts and see the world differently by the end.
My favorite books give me a new type of X-ray vision. They teach me how to see new layers of the world I didn’t understand or even notice before. I gained a new lens on the world from this book. I hope you find the same joy.
I find myself living differently after writing this book. It inspired investments (drone construction, nuclear reactors, robotic limbs) and health changes (so I might live to 120+). The ideas in this book give me an appreciation for our place in the history unfolding today and impatience for the many ways we’re punching ourselves in the face.
The book has three parts. First, it describes what technology has done for us and what it can do in the future. Second, it presents the types of truth and how to evaluate ideas for yourself. The third part is packed with Balaji’s tactical advice for starting a company (or protocol, non-profit, project, or country). Finally, so you can learn to think like Balaji, his recommended reading list is in the Bonus section. You can derive his worldview by reading his most influential books.
Technology has driven our past and will shape our future. Emerging technologies show mind-blowing promise. After reading this, you will start seeing new opportunities everywhere.
Truth plays a key role in this book. There is a constant clamor of information today. It can be crazy-making to figure out who is honest and what is true. This is a huge challenge, an important problem to solve. We need the tools to think for ourselves despite biased, corrupt, or adversarial information. (Expect this part to shake you up a bit!)
Technology (Part I) and Truth (Part II) are your sword and shield in the quest to build something useful. Building the Future (Part III) is a map to the grail. These ideas will equip you to change your life, your community, and maybe the future of our species.
(The first part is the most important, but the last part is my favorite.)
Though it is full of Balaji’s ideas, this book is actually a guide to thinking for yourself. Discover your own way to build the future you want to see. You might find your next great investment, start a billion-dollar company, or found an entirely new country.
Does Balaji sometimes sound a bit like a comic book villain? Maybe. He is an eccentric genius, after all. Have a conversation with this book. Adopt the ideas that serve you and wrestle with the others. When you’re done reading, put the book down and get to work.
Our future is born anew every day. Use your powers well.
Create a product. Solve a problem. Build.
Onward,
Eric Jorgenson
Kansas City
PS: Wondering if I want to invest in what you decide to build? The answer is probably, “Hell yes!” So please reach out. There are dozens of enormous, world-changing opportunities Balaji shows us in this book. Let’s build them together.
If you enjoy the ideas in this book, you will love my podcast, Smart Friends. Go to EJorgenson.com and enter your email to get new episodes and notes on what I learn.
