I want to reference four data points that inform my view for the future of work as it applies, initially to a small % of people, but hopefully over time, a larger set.
- here Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir (Palantir is a company that helps other companies undersatnd their data), when interviewing company fellows, is asked a question on how his philosophy degree (from Haverford College) helps him lead Palantir. The point from his response I want to highlight is, it aids in improving the company’s ability to cultivate an atmosphere where people can be the best version of themselves given their unique talent, and when within the framework of software and in an accepting culture, in turn helps Palantir grow and provide value to customers.
- here Naval Ravikant (footnote: entrepreneur, investor, thinker; he has some insightful things, some questionable, as do we all, but overall net additive to one’s perspective) talks on this podcast, but also on other occasion, on two notes, one is a data point, and one is actually the main point I’m making. The data point is found in this clip (entire clip relevant, but 0:00-1:40 is good), and actually also in this clip it is phrased more elegantly (whole interview interesting, but I like 1:40-2:30) about how 8 billion people on earth yet you really never meet two people who are the same, courtesy of permutations of DNA and upbringing and geography, so statistically everyone is unique. But the main point he talks about is in the same clips, on not following the mental model that people need to just follow one thing, and that rather you can do more, and people are multi-variate.
- here Jeremy Giffon (entrepreneur, investor) talks on the “Invest Like The Best” podcast (well respected investing-related podcast, although topics span much more than investing; I’ve listened to quite a few podcasts, actively over the past 6? years, and this is my favorite and the whole thing is worth listening to; podcast is originally on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, but this guy uploaded it to Youtube, making it easy to link) about the main point of why society benefits when people do what they are uniquely suited for/want to do.
People used to say that a Renaissance man, or more formally a polymath, or individual who explores multiple domains, all both driven by the curiosity, are talented, and knowledgeable, and have breath.
On the other hand, they also may be one who’s understanding is a mile wide but an inch deep, and perhaps they have shallow understandings across domains.
With automation of work, the need for necessary man-power for knowledge work will come down and I don’t think this is an unpopular opinion. How that exactly happens is TBD.
People thought creative pursuits would be the last to go, such as artists, but Midjourney/Sora/other image generation technologies have proven that to be false.
Now, in that sentence, I mean artist as an artist who does art as a job, not as a profession or a passion.
I think the entire individual movement (influencer, one-person businesses, providing some form of value for others in a unique way) alongside accelerated automation leads to some direction I could see the future going: more polymaths, more webs of networks and niches, the world rewarding more and more people for working on what they want.
SUMMARY: I like liking a lot of things and obsessing over things for some time to fully flush them out and then think about what is next. I should have been more biased to action on just being more polymath-like. I recognize that everything and everyone is, whether they like it or not, essentially imperfect. And have started to really enjoy truth-seeking, ideation and thoughtfulness. And most important, always be optimistic and realize it is important to preserve that, always. And that preparation is goated.