Renaissance Man The Principle Podcast

When I hear the words, Renaissance Man, I think back to learning about Leonardo Da Vinci in history class. A man whose countless curiosities led him down the path of countless disciplines.
Lately, I’ve devoured every piece of content – podcasts, articles and tweets – from Balaji. I can’t help but describe him in the same light as Da Vinci. A modern day Renaissance Man. 
In case you happen to live under a rock, here’s a quick snapshot of his resume:
Angel investor. Serial tech founder. Former CTO of Coinbase. General Partner at a16z. Futurist. Author of The Network State. 
But that’s not why I admire Balaji’s work. If you spend 5 minutes listening to the guy speak, you’ll realize that he’s a well-researched, articulate, independent thinker. And, he’s funny (at least I think so).
I’ve curated 6 of Balaji’s most thought-provoking reads. If you’re fascinated by leveraging technology to sculpt a better future, this post is for you.
Software Is Reorganizing the World (November 22, 2013)

Excerpt: ”the SoundCloud engineer on a laptop in Berlin builds a deeper relationship with the VC in New York than the nearby Bavarian bank.”
Takeaway: For our ancestors, America was the ultimate destination. The promised land of opportunity. Today, those seeking opportunity might not have to shift geographies at all…
Technology is continuing to make location less relevant. Millions of people are finding their people online (shoutout WOP Cohort 9), smartphones are making everything available at our fingertips, and travel is increasingly efficient (just don’t fly TAP Air).
We’re firmly in the remote work era. Balaji takes it a step further and introduces the idea of creating a new nation of emigrants. This piece marks the early days of The Network State.
2020: The Year the Internet Age Truly Began (May 23, 2020)

Excerpt: “It used to be that the physical world was primary, and the internet was the mirror. Now that has flipped.”
Takeaway: This piece is a dialogue between Balaji and an Israeli Politician discussing two blind spots that COVID revealed.
* We assumed the Internet changed everything, but never noticed how education, healthcare and government were largely unaffected by it. Then, COVID happened.
* Teachers had to adapt to online learning, parents adopted homeschooling
* Digital health services skyrocketed, medicines delivered to homes
* Outdated government processes became online-first. Fighting a ticket on Zoom, for example, is now the norm.
* “Nothing against sports, fashion, or video games, but we've been overallocated on leisure and underallocated on the things that matter, like health.” I argued a similar point in Sober Socializing – how more information is leading us to making more conscious decisions about our health. 
The Purpose of Technology (July 19, 2020)

Excerpt: “The point of doing a startup after all is to build something you can't buy.”
Takeaway: YouTube democratized media. Refrigerators made our food last longer. WhatsApp increased communication. Technology is how we describe things that help us do more.
Lifespans are finite. Someday, the music stops. That’s why we’re always looking for ways to do things faster – to not waste time.
But what if we could extend lifespans? Or eliminate death altogether? Would saving time still be as valuable?
Balaji argues that “if the proximate purpose of technology is to reduce scarcity, the ultimate purpose of technology is to eliminate mortality.”
Most of us aren’t aware of the life-changing technologies that exist today, like the procedures proven to reverse aging (yes, really). 
Why? Because technologists are so obsessed with building that they forget don’t care about telling the world.
We need to start evangelizing technological progress. By getting people on the hype train, we motivate everything we do with a singular purpose – eliminating mortality.
Balaji hit us with a one-two punch here: 
* Instead of looking f