In this episode, we’ll explore the concept of The Network State with Balaji Srinivasan. As the world becomes more digital, it also becomes more distributed. This is obvious on the individual level – how you order goods, the way you chat with friends, and the news you consume… all from a handheld computer. It’s also becoming more obvious at the company level. The pandemic shook the world into remote work and many companies have decided that maybe work can be done in ways they never imagined. But what about the state – whatever that means? Could the network rival the state?
In this episode, we’ll explore what a nation state even is and how it may be challenged by a new Leviathan: the network. We also cover the difference between a nation and a state, how constants become variables, the cloud continent, digital power, your identity stack, calibrating risk, polycentric law, cloud regulations, building fast with atoms, founding vs inheriting, the powerful vs the powerless, and just about everything in between.
Show Notes
0:00 – Introduction
2:41 – Nation vs state
14:38 – Constants becoming variables
16:12 – The cloud continent
20:10 – The three leviathans
30:00 – Digital power
37:20 – The identity stack
53:22 – Cloud first, land last
55:49 – Diplomatic recognition
1:01:47 – Root access to land
1:06:35 – Calibrating risk as society
1:16:13 – Regulatory harmonization
1:28:15 – Polycentric law
1:34:49 – Building fast with atoms
1:38:57 – Looking to history
1:42:00 – Founding vs inheriting
1:50:46 – The one commandment
2:17:33 – The powerful vs powerless
2:28:46 – The competition for people
2:33:45 – Historical lines
2:42:23 – v3 of governance
More About This Podcast
The a16z Podcast discusses the most important ideas within technology with the people building it. Each episode aims to put listeners ahead of the curve, covering topics like AI, energy, genomics, space, and more.