Essays
#Permissionless
The $200,000 Permission Slip
For a century the college degree was the right bet. Today, it's a $200,000 wager on a world that no longer exists.
Nine months ago I wrote The Proof of Work Protocol (Part 1). The shift I was predicting is no longer coming — it's here. Time for some actionables. In March 2005, Paul Graham wrote an essay called "Undergraduation." His advice to smart undergrads was simple and radical: stop worr...more
Permissionless Leverage in the Age of Agents
One person with a clear goal can now outbuild an entire 20th-century company.
In 2023, I realized that trying to fix education from the inside was a losing game. The system has an "immune system" that turns every new idea into a standardized checkbox. I decided the only way forward was to build a new path outside the system and I called this initiative goa...more
The Proof of Work Protocol (Part 1): Beyond the Degree
The degree is a lagging indicator of compliance. The artifact is a leading indicator of agency.
We are witnessing the largest destruction of human capital in history. The four year degree has become an expensive receipt for a map of a world that no longer exists. Most people still treat it like an asset. For a century, the degree served as the ultimate Signal. It was a way...more
The New Beginning: From 21st-Century Skills to Permissionless Leverage
After years trying to fix schools, I realized the answer is outside them.
Today is the first day of 2023, and I am sitting with a realization that has quietly rewired my entire understanding of education, work, and leverage. I spent years trying to change education from within. I built tools, I designed programs, and I sought "Hero Teachers." But the s...more