CEO of Stripe. His thinking on progress studies, fast execution, and the role of institutions in enabling scientific advancement has deeply shaped how I evaluate founders and markets.
People
A running list of people who have shaped my thinking. Not comprehensive — just the ones I find myself returning to most often.
Builders
CEO of Anthropic. Combines deep technical understanding of AI with unusually clear thinking about safety and the long-term trajectory of the technology. Working at Anthropic gave me a front-row seat to this kind of leadership.
Former CEO of GitHub, prolific angel investor. Embodies the 'builder-investor' archetype — someone who understands technology deeply because he's built it, and invests with conviction because he can evaluate what's real.
Thinkers
Economist and prolific writer. His breadth of reading and ability to connect disparate ideas is something I aspire to. Marginal Revolution is one of the few blogs I read daily.
Co-founder of Y Combinator. His essays on startups, programming, and independent thinking are foundational reading. 'Do Things That Don't Scale' and 'How to Do Great Work' are essays I return to regularly.