Welcome to The Orthogonal Bet, an ongoing mini-series that explores the unconventional ideas and delightful patterns that shape our world. Hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Samuel Arbesman⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode, Sam speaks with ⁠Alex Komoroske⁠, a master of systems thinking. Alex is the CEO and co-founder of a startup building at the intersection of AI, privacy, and open-endedness. Previously, he served as the Head of Corporate Strategy at Stripe, and before that, spent many years at Google, where he worked on the Chrome web platform, ambient computing strategy, Google Maps, Google Earth, and more.

The throughline for Alex is his focus on complex systems, which are everywhere: from the Internet to biology, from the organizations we build to society as a whole. These systems consist of networks of countless interacting parts, whether computers or people. Navigating them requires a new mode of thinking, quite different from the top-down rigid planning many impose on the world.

Alex is deeply passionate about systems thinking and its broad implications—from making an impact in the world and navigating within and between organizations to understanding undirectedness and curiosity in one’s work.

His more bottom-up, improvisational approach to systems thinking reveals insights on a range of topics, from how to approach large tech companies and the value of startups, to a perspective on artificial intelligence that untangles hype from reality.

Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christopher Gates⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Ko⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & Suno

Show notes:

Chapters

00:00 Thinking in Terms of Systems

04:11 The Adjacent Possible and Agency

08:21 Saruman vs. Radagast: Different Leadership Models

13:17 Financializing Value and the Role of Radagasts

21:59 Making Time for Reflection and Leverage

25:18 Different Styles and Time Scales of Impact

28:14 The Challenges of Large Organizations and the Tyranny of the Rocket Equation

34:10 The Potential and Responsibility of Generative AI

45:12 Disrupting Power Structures and Empowering Individuals through Startups

Takeaways

Embrace the complexity and uncertainty of systems when approaching problem-solving.

Shift the focus from individual heroics to collective efforts and systemic thinking.

Recognize the value of the Radagast approach in nurturing and growing the potential of individuals and teams.

Consider the different dynamics and boundaries within large organizations and startups.

Take the time to step back, reflect, and find leverage points for greater impact. Focus on your highest and best use, not just what you're good at, but what leads to something you're proud of.

Consider the long-term implications of your actions and whether you would be proud of them in the future.

Large organizations can become inefficient and lose focus due to coordination challenges and the tyranny of the rocket equation.

Open source can be a powerful force for good, but it can also be used as a control mechanism by larger organizations.

Generative AI has the potential to make the boundary between creators and consumers more porous, but responsible implementation is crucial.

Startups offer the opportunity to disrupt existing power structures and business models, giving individuals more sovereignty and control over their data.

Keywords

systems thinking, uncertainty, complexity, individual heroics, collective, leadership, Saruman, Radagast, startups, large organizations, large organizations, values, decision-making, generative AI, startups, data sovereignty

Episode 01: Silicon Valley’s dependence on American foreign policy