Technology has always been a force in how we live, work, and play; only now it's accelerating and compounding in unexpected ways. But just because we don't know exactly what form that tech will take (sharing homes on Airbnb or cars with Lyft and Uber for example) doesn't mean that the larger force at play (e.g., sharing) didn't have a certain predictability to it. It was almost an inherent -- and inevitable -- outcome of the very nature of the internet itself. And there are at least 12 such inevitable technological forces, shares author Kevin Kelly in his new book Inevitable. As we now move from an "internet of information" to an "internet of experiences" -- with virtual and augmented reality, AI-as-a-service, and more -- we need to accept the inevitable. Instead of fighting tech outcomes (things like tracking for example), we need to expect it, accept it, plan for it, and civilize it. It's not just about policy and laws, though (which should follow tech use); it's about new business opportunities (imagine if the music industry had bypassed its DRM phase!), cultural change, and new opportunities for humanity, too. Especially as the future of work changes. But productivity -- and even some forms of creativity -- is for the robots, argues Kelly in this episode of the a16z Podcast (where he is joined by a16z's Chris Dixon, Kyle Russell, and Sonal Chokshi). The irony is that while technology is inevitable, we humans are best suited for what is uncertain, inefficient, and full of failure. Machines may answer, but we will ask the questions. It's not just what we want, but what technology needs.
On his 68th birthday, Kevin Kelly began to write down for his young adult children some things he had learned about life that he wished he had known earlier. Kelly’s timeless advice covers an astonishing range, from right living to setting ambitious goals, optimizing generosity, and cultivating compassion. Excellent Advice for Living is the ideal companion for anyone seeking to navigate life with grace and creativity: https://amzn.to/4adhQd7 Episode sponsors: Ramp gives you everything you need to control spend, watch your costs, and optimize your financial operations —all on a single platform. Make history's greatest entrepreneurs proud by going to Ramp and learning how they can help your business control your costs and save time and money. https://ramp.com Automate compliance, security, and trust with Vanta. Vanta helps you win trust, close deals, and stay secure—faster and with less effort. Find out how increased security leads to more customers by going to Vanta. Tell them David from Founders sent you and you'll get $1000 off. https://www.vanta.com/founders Collateral transforms your complex ideas into compelling narratives. Collateral crafts institutional grade marketing collateral for private equity, private credit, real estate, venture capital, family offices, hedge funds, oil & gas companies, and all kinds of corporations. Storytelling is one of the highest forms of leverage and you should invest heavily in it. You can do that by going to https://collateral.com Some of my favorite quotes from the episode: 1. Choose to believe that the entire universe is conspiring behind your back to make you a success. 2. Mastering the view through the eyes of others will unlock many doors. 3. If you can avoid seeking the approval of others your power is limitless. 4. The reward for good work is more work. 5. Don’t be the best. Be the only. 6. The urgent is a tyrant. The important should be your king. 7. Find smart people who will disagree with you. 8. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. 9. The most counterintuitive truth of the universe is that the more you give to others the more you'll get. 10. Life gets better as you replace transactions with relationships. 11. Courtesy costs nothing. 12. Life lessons will be presented to you in the order they are needed. 13. Cultivate an allergy to average. 14. If you repeated what you did today 365 more times would you be where you want to be next year? 15. If you are alive that means you still have lessons to learn. 16. Master something.Through mastery of one thing you'll command a viewpoint to steadily find where your bliss is. 17. Trust is earned in drops and lost in buckets. 18. First, always ask for what you want. Works in relationships, business, life. 19. If nobody else does what you do you won't need a resume. 20. How to apologize: quickly, specifically, sincerely. 21. You choose to be lucky by believing that any setbacks are just temporary. 22. The best way to advise people is to find out what they really want to do and then advise them to do it. 23. It is certain that 99% of the stuff you are anxious about won't happen. 24. What is important is not what happened to you but what you did about what happened to you. 25. Your golden ticket is being able to see things from other people's point of view. 26. Pay attention to who you are around when you feel best. Be with them more often. 27. To get your message across follow this formula: simplify, simplify, simplify, then exaggerate. 28. You will thrive more when you promote what you love rather than bash what you hate. 29. To be interesting just tell your own story with uncommon honesty. 30. When you truly think for yourself your conclusions will not be predictable. 31. Don’t measure your life with someone else’s ruler. 32. For maximum results focus on your biggest opportunities, not your biggest problems. 33. Pay attention to what you pay attention to. 34. Do more of what looks like work to others but is play for you. 35. Don't bother fighting the old just build the new. 36. Don't compare your inside to someone else's outside. 37. When you are stuck explain your problem to others. 38. It is useful to organize your thoughts with someone you trust and admire. 39. Most stories are improved significantly if you delete the first page. Start with the action. 40. A long game will compound small gains that will be able to overcome even big mistakes. 41. Constantly search for overlapping areas of agreement and dwell there. 42. It is your destiny to work on things that only you can do. 43. Make stuff that is good for people to have. 44. You'll get 10 times better results by elevating good behavior rather than punishing bad behavior. 45. Life is not a straight line for anyone. 46. Aim for tasks that you never want to stop doing.
Sign Up for "Writing Examples" and Learn From The Best Writing of All Time: https://www.writingexamples.com Kevin Kelly is one of the most important tech writers of the last half century. Kevin started as the publisher and editor of the Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of Steve Jobs’ favorite publications. After being mentored by Stewart Brand, he started writing books and magazine pieces before cofounding Wired Magazine. He has since become a prolific author - writing one feature article for Wired Magazine every year, and writing numerous bestselling books. The man is full of mysteries. Kevin writes abundantly but types very slowly. He writes often but calls himself a reluctant writer. He constantly explores new ideas but actually likes editing more than writing. Rare is the opportunity to sit down with the master who has decades of experience as a writer. This episode is a peek behind the curtain. OUTLINE: 0:00:00 Intro 0:00:31 Whole Earth Catalog 0:04:00 Writing for impact 0:05:00 Writing reluctantly 0:07:10 Editing process 0:08:45 Patron Saint of Wired 0:10:25 Amaze me 0:13:40 Ideating 0:14:20 Control 0:16:45 Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish 0:19:00 Scenius, collective genius 0:24:15 1000 True Fans 0:26:55 Not the best but the only 0:29:20 Wired Story Ideas 0:30:50 Genesis stories 0:34:20 From books to YouTube 0:36:40 Productivity 0:37:10 Writing often but reluctantly 0:38:30 Photography 0:39:15 Most travel man in Asia 0:39:45 Do something crazy in your 20s 0:41:00 Playfulness 0:42:15 Give and Get 0:43:00 Duty 0:46:30 Greatness is overrated 0:48:10 Trade-offs 0:49:20 Greatness 0:50:50 Writing sessions 0:52:30 Time Management 0:54:00 Structure 1:02:00 Marketing 1:03:00 Change in book business 1:04:30 Marketing Strategies 1:07:30 Fame 1:10:00 Ideating 1:13:10 Reading 1:15:30 What compels Kevin to writing SPEAKER LINKS: Website: https://kk.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevin2kelly Latest Book: "Excellent Advice for Living": https://a.co/d/3nYau0X WRITE OF PASSAGE: Want to learn more about the next class for Write of Passage? Click here: https://writeofpassage.school PODCAST LINKS: Website: https://writeofpassage.school/how-i-write/ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv ABOUT THE HOST: I’m David Perell and I’m a writer, teacher, and podcaster. I believe writing online is one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. For the first time in human history, everybody can freely share their ideas with a global audience. I seek to help as many people publish their writing online as possible. How I Write is a podcast by Write of Passage // Production by Adam Soccolich